The Story of Qin Lee: Imperial Firebender
by IGdude117
Summary: You've seen and followed the story of Team Avatar and their heroic journey, but what was it like for the regular soldiers that were on the front lines? Follow Private Qin Lee as he rises through the ranks of the Fire Nation military and see his adventures as he hunts for the Avatar, the truth, and his own destiny. Rated T for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1: My Story

142 AG-

My name is Qin Lee, and I guess you could say that I've seen it all. I've been in the Fire Nation Armed Forces since the year 93AG, the year before Crown Prince Iroh began his siege of the Great City of Ba Sing Se. I've served the Fire Nation for 16 years. I began as a simple Private in the Firebending Corps in 93 AG, and retired as a Colonel in 109 AG. I've seen a lot of action in my career, and I've made a lot of mistakes, but I suppose I'm here now to talk about them. My daughter asked me to write this memoir, and I suppose, being 67 now, I might as well get on with it. I know those heroes that served with the Avatar during the War all told their stories, so here is mine.

75 AG-

I was born in the year 75 AG on the hottest day of that summer to my parents, Taro (my father) and Aiko (my mother)—both wealthy merchants living in the city of Varron on the Island of Infernus to the East. From the moment I was born, I was often told, it was readily apparent that I would be a firebender. "The Spark", the doctors apparently said, was in my eyes. I began Firebending as a small child; on accident of course, but I once lit my nursery on fire. When I was little, my parents hired a private tutor who taught me not only standard subjects, but also rudimentary firebending. Accordingly, I entered school with a greater knowledge of Firebending than most of my classmates.

"Qin," my teachers would tell me, "you are destined to serve the Firelord."

I suppose that ended up being true, but in ways I didn't like. School was hard, but I managed to be considered moderately popular amongst my classmates, and my great skill at firebending certainly helped keep bullies away.

My parents and I had a great relationship, even though my father passed when I was sixteen. My mother was a kind woman, but was stern with me when I needed it. I have her to thank for my sense of humility and honor; those, of all her lessons, were the lessons that stayed with me, even when I was in my… flawed stage. For her, honor meant doing the right thing and doing what was right for the people.

"Qin," she'd tell me, "always remember to have honor in all things."

For me, I took this as meaning honor to my duty. Duty, for me, meant service. Through School, we were taught to worship Firelord Ozai as a God on earth. For all we knew, he was. The firey avatar of the Fire Nation's ambitions- kids in my school would whisper stories of Ozai's incredible mastery of firebending; some even said that he could shoot lightning out of his fingertips. For me at the time, a moderately good firebender, such a concept was unthinkable to me, but I learned that later on.

On the day I turned eighteen, in the year 93AG, I graduated from my academy and formally joined the Firebending Corps. Tearfully, I said goodbye to my mother. I remember the moment as if it was yesterday. It was midday, and the other recruits were saying goodbye to their loved ones. My mother, a little shorter than me, had hugged me for a while, and then held my face.

"Qin Lee, take care of yourself. Please, _please_ do not come back in an urn. It would kill me," she said, sobbing.

I smiled, and hugged her again, kissing her on the forehead.

"Don't worry, mom. I'll come back."

With that, I left with the other recruits on a massive warship bound for the Capital Island. I would indeed return to see my mother again, but she died soon after I left from my first leave. I suppose the one thing I regret most about my life is that I spent such little time with my parents. Although we loved each other very much, we often spent time going our own paths. Would that I had spent more time with them…

Ahh, I suppose I'm being the downer here. My sarcastic years didn't begin until basic training, so you'll have that to look forward to, at least. For now, however, I'm done. I go now to drink some tea with my family; one of the many things General Iroh taught me.

* * *

**EDIT (6/26/15): I don't know how I missed this with all of the comments, but I have indeed put down two names for Qin Lee's mother. I know there's also some contradiction in regards to Qin Lee's father and some unfortunate and sloppy retcons- that's mainly due to the fact that the first half of this fic was largely being written on the fly (don't worry, I'm now working off of an outline). Sorry for not updating with a new chapter, I've been pretty busy lately, but I'm looking at getting one in this weekend. **

**If you're new to this fic, welcome to the ravening beast that is The Story of Qin Lee! **

**It's not a story of extraordinary benders who are heroically saving the world from Firelord Ozai against insurmountable odds- it's about one Firebender who does his best to survive in a world of warfare, cruelty, corruption, and occasional bravery. **

**Enjoy,**

**IGdude117**


	2. Chapter 2: Firebender Training

93 A.G- Day One.

The first thing I remembered, after getting off of the Cruiser and arriving in the Earth Kingdom military camps, is the yelling. The moment we benders got off, we had a drill sergeant bellowing in our faces and cursing us out.

"You pathetic weasels think you're good enough to fight for the Fire Nation?! Think again, maggots," was the first sentence the esteemed Drill Sergeant Takano said to us.

We unloaded the ship alongside throngs of other recruits, non benders for the most part. The Drill Sergeant quickly organized us into squadrons, and we were suddenly the 124th Trainee Company, 23rd Division, Fire Nation Army.

There were around a hundred of us in the Trainee company, and were immediately forced to march a mile in the pouring rain to Camp Clupea, around thirty miles away from the Xiao Woods, which would later become the home to a particular band of guerrilla warriors known as the Freedom Fighters.

Anyways, we arrived in the barracks tent after being soundly bellowed at by our Drill Sergeant, and we were assigned to bunk beds. I was paired with another Private named Liao, who hailed from a larger city on the Capital Island.

"The names Liao," he said, offering his hand.

I had always been a bit stuck-up, so the thought of shaking hands with a _peasant_ was strange to me, but I made the decision to shake his hand anyways. We were all in the same boat, after all, and I supposed that being a stuffy aristocrat would earn me no friends.

"Qin Lee. I'm from Varron, from Infernus island, to the East."

The man looked interested, and I told him that I was a merchant's son, and I told him a few token stories from my school years to impress him. Indeed, the man did look impressed, and, as I unpacked my things, he told me all about his life as a farmer, which was incredibly boring to me, but I acted interested anyways.

We were interrupted by the Drill Sergeant clearing his throat, and a rush of activity as the men all gathered in parallel lines across the barrack tent.

"Well, you mangy pack of Rat-Ants, my name is Drill Sergeant Takano, and you will have the displeasure of serving under me for the next three months. You have been given the honor of being Firebenders for our glorious nation, and I intend to shape you into the best damn soldiers this side of the Earth Kingdom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Your training will consist of three stages. The first is a physical stage. You will be tested to the limits of physical endurance. You will be taught how to handle a weapon, how to ride a Komodo-Rhino, and how to operate a piece of Fire Nation machinery, as well as how to operate as an effective unit."

He paused, pacing down the hallway, eyeing different soldiers with his baleful golden eyes.

"Second stage will be Firebending training. You maggots may hold the power of fire, but you sure as Agni don't know how to use it. Second stage will teach you how to operate as a true Firebender in the Army."

He stopped at the front of the tent, holding his hands rigidly behind his back.

"Third stage will be specialty training. We will see exactly what branch of service you belong in. Those of you who have skills in combat will remain in the Firebending Corps. Those who show an aptitude for riding Komodo-Rhinos will join the Cavalry Corps. Those of you that show that you can power machinery or handle sea life will join the Fire Navy. And those of you…" he said, looking around the room intensely, "… that show a special skill in Firebending may someday find themselves in the Imperial Firebenders, serving the Royal Family directly."

I remember thinking to myself that I liked the sound of Imperial Firebender, and that I would very much like to become one someday. I was arrogant back then, and I remember thinking that all I would have to do is ride out basic training, join the Firebender Corps, knock a few Earth Kingdom heads together, and join the Imperial Firebenders for an easy life.

If only I knew.

* * *

The next few entries are actually excerpts from a journal I kept; I've managed to dig them up from my footlocker, so I've decided to put them here.

_Day Nine: 93 AG, Camp Clupea._

_Today was tough. Sergeant Takano had us doing laps around the compound for the first half of the day, followed by weapons training drills. I've proven to be quite resourceful with both the halberd known as the Pu Dao, as well as the straight sword, the Jian. It's frustrating, however. Why do we have to train with these stupid weapons when we have the power of Fire in our hands? I do not know. _

_Hiro, a son of a military family from the Fire Capital, came up to me today and asked me my name. I told him as such, and I'm not sure, but I think he wants to be my friend. He's a strong fellow who can handle himself in a fight, but I wonder how his firebending is. _

_It's been this way for the entire week, and then some. We wake, run, exercise, and crawl in the mud, then we get a half-an-hour long break, then we train with weapons well into the evening. Takano is insane if he thinks we can survive this. I wonder if he's even allowed…_

* * *

_Day Fifteen: 93 AG, Camp Clupea._

_We ran an exercise today, with dummy weapons. We were competing with the other squads in the Company; there are Ten squads, each with ten men in them. I am in squad Six, under a man named Kinzo, from the Colonies. Hiro's in my squad too, but Liao is in squad nine. We were teamed with squadrons one through five for today's exercise, and we were to take a hill held by 'the Earthbenders', or the other squads. It was tough, but we did it with some ingenuity. Kinzo, despite his looks, turned out to be quite intelligent. He had a few of the other squads create simultaneous diversions while he and two other squads came from the rear and demolished the enemy. We had wooden weapons, but we managed to knock some heads. _

_It's been half a month. Wow. Stage one is almost complete, and I can see the difference in all of us. Not that I'm arrogant, but I've caught glimpses of myself in the mirror, and, well, let's just say I probably won't have an issue getting girls now. Even Nobu, the fat son of a baker from one of the inner islands, has thinned out. Not to mention we're all proficient with a weapon. It's no secret that there will be times we can't rely on firebending. I've always noticed I was a little weaker at night…_

* * *

Training was long, I remember that much. Reading back in my journal entries, I'm always amused to see how cocky and sure of myself I was. Some of the trainees tried being lazy, arrogant, and spiteful, but they quickly found that Tanako found their faults and exploited them. I myself tried my best to be a good soldier and all that. I got yelled at a lot, and I worked probably twice as hard as those other _lazy_ soldiers, but it eventually paid off; I ended up scoring fifth-highest in the Company during graduation day.

While we had been training, the other companies of nonbenders and a few other bending companies had been hard at work, and at stage graduation, I got to see how many of us there were. The central plaza around the Fire nation flag was filled to the brim with soldiers, all in their standard uniforms; I remember being in wonder of how many troops there were.

Word around camp had been that we'd get a special visitor, and when we saw who it was, we were flabbergasted.

General Iroh, Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, had climbed on that stage to give us a speech.

"Soldiers of the Fire Nation," he had shouted. "We are gathered here to celebrate your first steps into becoming fully-fledged soldiers of the Fire Nation Army!"

The declaration had been met by cheers amongst the soldiers.

"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, has always desired the Earth Kingdom, and we shall fulfill that wish by taking the Great City of Ba Sing Se!"

There were murmurs of surprise amongst the troops. I remember that Kinzo had glanced at me in surprise, which I had returned. Taking Ba Sing Se? Was that even possible? The colossal capital of the Earth Kingdom was said to be invulnerable.

"But for tonight, congratulate yourself for getting this far into your training; for tomorrow, your training will begin in earnest!"

There were groans of dismay from some of the troops, and Iroh grinned knowingly, walking of the stage. I remember that both Hiro and Liao had looked at me in fear, with a single thought; how could training get any worse?

* * *

The next day saw us waking early in the morning and assembling on a firing range. There, Sergeant Takano had us doing pose drills through most of the morning, where we then began actually firebending.

"A Fire Nation Firebender does not firebend like a master," Takano stated bluntly.

"A Fire Nation Firebender does only what he needs to do to succeed over his enemies. The first move that every bender must know is the one you will use the most; the Fire Fist."

The men gathered around Takano as he demonstrated.

"You bend the fire through your closed fist, which you punch forward rapidly, like so," he said.

Settling into the bending pose he had spent all morning teaching he had breathed inward and jabbed his fist out, expelling a large fireball that exploded on a wooden dummy a few yards away. We were then ordered to attempt a fireball, and most of the soldiers managed small shadows of Takano's display, some only conjuring wisps of fire. I, however, did not have that problem, and I did the move, expelling a massive fireball out, catching the attention of Takano.

"Lee, good job. Soldiers, _that's_ how you bend fire. This man is going places, while the rest of you maggots will be _nothing._"

That earned me some hostile glares, I remember, but both I and Hiro, who both produced large fireballs, quickly became Takano's 'favorites'.

That night, I had a crowd of people who demanded that I teach them how to do the move.

"There's no secret," I had said, innocently. "You just have to _feel _the move, and, well, make it happen."

And so it went. We would do some exercises early in the morning, practice our poses, then practice our moves for much of the rest of the day, as well as go to classroom lectures on firebending theory, and some recreational time to do as we pleased. Classroom instruction was interesting, but somewhat dry; we spent hours learning from an expert firebender about how to utilize our _chi_ to enhance our firebending, and how having a personal drive can enhance power; that in particular interested me. Anything that could enhance my bending was interesting.

* * *

We learned many moves throughout the course of our month-long training stage. Other than the Fire Fist, we learned the Pillar move, which had a continuous stream of fire for clearing out enemies, a fire kick, which saw us bend with our feet, and fire blasts, which we conjured in our hands, then released, causing a small explosion. Those, along with a plethora of other moves, left us, even the weakest of the group, as competent firebenders.

We would spend hours dueling each other, which I excelled at. Some of the most powerful benders in the Company couldn't even touch me; having had previous education gave me the edge, and it usually ended up that Hiro and I would duel; him having been from a military family, I could tell that he had also been taught earlier on, and both of us became advanced students, using trickier kick moves, jumping punch-kick combos, and other such advanced method. It reminded me of the propaganda posters we saw as kids.

* * *

On the day of our graduation, we were all called into the office individually. We all waited nervously, and as men came out, looking either pleased or disappointed, our anticipation only grew. When it came time for my name to be called, I was practically bursting with excitement.

I entered the room, and was surprised to see not only General Iroh there, but also Sergeant Tanako. The General gestured for me to sit, and I saluted stiffly and sat in the lone chair, nervous.

"Name?"

"Private Qin Lee, 124th Trainee Company, 23rd Division, your highness!"

The General sipped at his tea and looked at me, smiling.

"I have heard great things about you, Private Lee. Your drill sergeant here tells me that you are a firebending prodigy. Tell me, have you had any previous instruction?"

"Yes, Sir. I was taught firebending from a private tutor until I entered the Varron Academy, sir."

The General nodded, smiling. Iroh struck me as being very laid-back and calm. He looked to be about ten years older than me, and I couldn't help but see the Crown Prince's ornament in his topknot, but he was as calm as a still ocean. For the "Dragon of the West" who had killed the last dragons, he seemed like a nice person.

"Tell me, Private Lee, what do _you_ want to do?"

"Sir?"

"I'm curious."

"Sir, I would like to go into the Firebending Corps and fight, sir. I would like to eventually join the Imperial Firebenders, sir."

Iroh smiled.

"Aah, the Imperial Firebenders. The finest benders this Nation has at its disposal- capable of remarkable feats, and responsible for protecting the Royal Family and carrying out its most difficult missions. And do you think you have the stuff to join the Imperial Firebenders, Private?"

"Sir, yes Sir!"

Iroh chuckled, writing a notation on a scroll and handing it to Tanako.

"Very well, private. I'm transferring you into the Firebending Corps, and I'll recommend your name to Colonel Oda of the Imperial Firebending Academy."

I remember being immensely grateful, fearful, and happy all at the same time. Knowing myself, I probably did something stupid like jump up and salute or something. Either way, though, my name was recommended to Colonel Oda of the Imperial Firebending Academy, and I joined the Firebending Corps soon after.

We had a day to rest after graduation, and I found out that I had been assigned to the 13th Firebending Company, which was camped a few miles away from the Serpent's Pass, outside of Ba Sing Se. Both Hiro and Liao came with me, having been assigned to the same outfit.

With that, we boarded a caravan going to the Serpent's Pass to meet up at Camp Teshima to join our new outfit.

If we knew the nightmare that would ensue, however, we would have stayed in Camp Clupea and gone home.

* * *

Camp Teshima was a dismal place, to be honest. Located near the rocky crags of the Serpent's Pass, Teshima was immense, serving as a staging point for the inevitable invasion of Ba Sing Se. Word had spread all over the Fire Nation military; The Dragon of the West was going to lead it personally, rumor had it, and the Fire Nation had mustered the greatest army in history to punch through the wall.

When the convoy stopped, and we arrived in the camp itself, we saw the truth to the rumors. I had heard of Camp Teshima's size, of course, but I hadn't expected it to be _that_ big. The camp was colossal, with thousands of tents covering the ground for miles in each direction. Battalions of soldiers patrolled the perimeter, and line after line of trebuchets stood starkly on a ridgeline, swarms of engineers milling amongst them.

Hiro looked stunned, and Liao was completely silent, jaw agape.

"I didn't even know we had this many people in the Army," Hiro said, awed.

I remember feeling much the same way; Varron had been a large city, to be sure, but I had never truly seen the rest of my Nation, or the world, whatsoever.

"So it's true. We're taking Ba Sing Se," I whispered, dropping my pack on the ground behind me.

Behind us, the rest of the transfers jumped off the wagons as a column of Firebenders marched down the road towards the camp. I looked across the thin strip of land that was the Serpent's Pass, and I remember seeing the Walls for the first time. It had amazed me; the tall, tan walls that seemed to reach into the horizon infinitely. I remember wondering how on earth we were going to be able to tame the great city.

* * *

In retrospect, we probably never should have tried to take the city the way that we did. General Iroh later told me that he had a vision that he would take the city. As much as I respect the man, not a moment goes by when I don't question his decision. Why base the largest military operation in Fire Nation history on a simple vision? Although I'm no spiritual guru, I'd even tell you that attacking the most fortified city in the world was a flawed idea. I suppose history backs that up, seeing how the battle turned out.

I digress. What happened happened, and I suppose that the Siege led to other events that would eventually help the Avatar do what he needed to do; none of us were farsighted enough to see it.

I'm tired now, however, and I must be going soon. The Fire Lord's stepfather, Ikem, died recently, and we've been invited to attend the funeral. I'm not sure why, though, as I've only met the Fire Lord once, and that was when he was pardoning me.

* * *

**Next episode will see Qin Lee witness the beginning of the infamous Six Hundred Days, or the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Stay tuned!**

**As always, thanks for reading, and until next time, cheers!**

**-IGdude117**


	3. Chapter 3: New Friends, New Beginnings

94 A.G- Summer.

What I noticed first upon arriving in the tent of the 13th Company's commander was overpowering scent of ash. Hiro, Liao, and myself were shown in by a stoic guard and we saluted immediately.

The Commander of the 13th Company was a Captain Jirou. Jirou, I later learned, was a distinguished soldier who had served in the Hu Xin Provinces Campaign as well as the Battle of Taku, both under Fire Lord Azulon. He was a bull of a man; even at his age, around fifty years old; the man was heavily muscled, and intimidating. He had a large, square chin that was cut by a long, winding scar that ran across his face, a testament to his past battles. The reason for the smell of ash was the cloud of smoke that hung over the tent from his pipe that he sat, smoking, whilst drinking a cup of tea and looking at some maps. When we entered the room, he snorted derisively, smirking.

"Great. _More_ recruits. You the transfers from Clupea?"

"Yes, sir," I said, saluting stiffly.

The man grunted, exhaling a cloud of smoke.

"You bastards came at a bad time. Go find Quartermaster Chao; he'll assign you weapons and armor. Then, find Sergeant Hikaru, third squadron; he lost a few men on a raid, so he's under strength."

We all saluted smartly, parade-ground style, and the man glanced back up, bemused, giving a halfhearted salute.

"Dismissed, soldier."

We exited the tent and glanced at each other nervously.

"That didn't sound very good," Liao noted.

I nodded in agreement.

"Let's go find Quartermaster Chao."

It took us a good thirty minutes to find the man; we had to ask directions to find our way through the massive camp, but we managed to locate it after asking a few artillery crewmen. We entered a massive tent and came face-to face with a very large, muscle-bound man who towered over us. The man looked at us for a while, frowning, and we saluted, noting the Lieutenant's insignia on his collar.

"What do you want," he said, in a low, menacing voice.

"We've-we've been ordered to report to you for equipment by Captain Jirou, sir," said Hiro, saluting smartly.

The man grunted, and then turned away, waving for us to follow him. We did so, following him through shelves of crates, racks of weapons, and discarded mounds of clothing. We arrived at a brightly lit back area, where he then bent over, lifted a crate, and pried it open with his massive hands. He tossed three bundles of armor towards the men, and I remember recognizing the iconic skull-faced helms of the Firebending Corps staring up at me, exciting me immensely.

The man then retrieved three battered, dull swords, which he threw to us distractedly, landing on the ground with a dull _thud_.

"Here are your armor sets and your swords. Unit insignias will be given to you when you arrive at your new unit. Further specialized equipment will be issued to you upon further notice. Do not lose, misplace, or unnecessarily damage your armor, or I _will_ find track you down. Dismissed."

We saluted timidly, scared out of our minds, and exited the tent quickly. We all paused outside the supply tent, looking at our armor bundles with excitement.

"We finally got our armor," I said, excitedly.

The others nodded in agreement; we were all excited. The armor of a Firebender was perhaps the most readily recognizable uniform of the entire Fire Nation armor. The iconic skull-faced helmet stared back at all citizens from the many propaganda posters that adorned every street corner back home. When I was little, and army battalions would march through Varron enroute to the harbor, the people would always cheer the loudest when the skull faced soldiers marched by.

* * *

When we arrived to Third Squadron's tent, we were already exhausted from having lugged our equipment around the entire camp. Needless to say, we made quite a ruckus, crashing into the tent, scaring the hell out of some troops. A disgruntled man with Sergeant's chevrons stalked forward, and we all saluted.

"What do _you_ want?"

I spoke for the group.

"Sir, we've been assigned to this squad by Captain Jirou. We've just arrived from Basic Training."

There were harsh laughs from around the tent as the sergeant pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"By Sozin's Beard, why is Jirou dropping these losers off here?"

"Probably 'cause we lost Sakurai and the other two in that raid last week," said a thin, glasses-wearing private from the back.

"Sakai, if I wanted your opinion, I would've asked for it," bellowed the sergeant, who then glared at the three recruits.

"Find your bunks in the back. I'll assign you your unit patches tomorrow morning before patrol. Dismissed."

We hurriedly found our bunks in the back of the tent. I took the first one, the bunk next to a pretty woman who lay back in her bunk, reading a scroll.

"Hey," I said, being the cocky womanizer I was.

I remember the shiver of fear that I got when that woman looked at me. She glared at me like I was a tiny bug that she had had the bad luck to step on, and I hurriedly turned away and stowed my belongings away in a wooden chest next to my bed.

"Don't pay attention to _her_, kid; she's just in her reading mode," came a gruff voice.

A tall, well-built man jumped down from the bunk above her and bowed, revealing a lean, tanned face that sported several scars running down the cheek. The man's eyes were kind, and he had a thick, black beard covering his face, but I could tell where he had gotten wounded several times.

I bowed back.

"The name's Aoke. I'm the squad specialist; I do the cool firebending tricks for this squad."

"Qin Lee. I'm from Varrus City"

Aoke looked surprised.

"No joke? I think Corporal Okada over there is from there."

Aoke shouted for the man, and Okada walked over; a medium-sized man who had a thin beard covering his chin, with a grim, drawn face and dark gold eyes.

"What?"

"This guy's from Varrus—aren't you from around there?"

Okada's face lightened up as he looked at me with renewed interest.

"Really? I live next to Taku's Fishery; you know it?"

I actually only lived a few blocks away from Taku's fishery, and finding a guy from my old hometown made me immeasurably more comfortable in this strange, hostile land.

"Yeah, I live by the police department. I used to go to Taku's with my friends, back in the day."

I remember that we talked for a while, reminiscing about Varrus city, at which point Aoke introduced me to the rest of our squad.

Sergeant Hikaru, he told me, was a seasoned veteran of many of the Fire Nation's campaigns in the Earth Kingdom, and apparently cooked really good noodles.

Okada, I had gathered, from Aoke's stories and talking with the man myself, was also a veteran of the Earth Kingdom campaigns and, as I found out later on, was a really good combat leader who had served in the Company for years now, similar to Sergeant Hikaru.

Private Yuko, a dingy, humorless man who always sat by his bed reading firebending theory scrolls for fun, was known to be a cold and efficient soldier who never smiled, ever.

Private Keita, a younger guy who always read propaganda scrolls and often spouted Fire Nation Military doctrine, was a reverent supporter of the Fire Nation's political ideology, and was nicknamed "The Diplomat" by Aoke.

Private Fujiko was the glaring girl who had looked at him earlier; she was a tall, thin-faced girl who had short black hair. Aoke had told him that she was crazy in battle and was a dedicated soldier that apparently hated all Earthbenders with a passion.

The thin, glasses wearing man was identified as being Private Sakai, who had apparently attended the Royal Firebending Academy, but had dropped out and joined the army because the Academy was 'too boring.'

Aoke finished the tour by telling me about himself, and his story was actually quite interesting.

Aoke had fought in the Northwestern Earth Kingdom campaigns, rising to the rank of Lieutenant, until he was picked to join the Imperial Firebenders, where he served with honor for three years, guarding the Royal Family. However, he was found sleeping on guard duty, and was going to be executed, until Fire Lady Ursa pardoned him, and he was instead busted down to the rank of Corporal and had been here ever since.

After his commentary-filled tour, he decided to leave us recruits alone, and we talked together on Hiro's and Liao's bed.

"These guys are crazy," Hiro said, fear tingeing his voice.

"That Fujiko girl looks like she's going to strangle me," Liao pointed out.

The two were silent, but I patted both on the shoulder reassuringly.

"We'll be fine. Besides, the crazy ones are the ones you want fighting by your side when the going gets tough; I guess we're going on patrol tomorrow, so we'll find out."

We returned to our bed after chatting for a while, and I remember sitting in bed, thinking about the patrol. All these months of training had prepared him for eventually going to battle; but questions swirled in my head endlessly.

How would I react in a fight? Would I be able to bend effectively? Would I die from a rock-spike, a spear, or a sword? Would I _ever_ return home? As I drifted to sleep, the fears for the next day's patrol swirled around my mind.

Knowing my squadmates, they probably weren't even thinking about the patrol. Experience in battle tends to give you a sense of knowledge; you don't sit up at night wondering what will happen because you know for sure that you and your comrades will do their jobs, accomplish the mission, and return home with glory and honor.

It wouldn't be long before I, too was in my first battle.

Here is a short excerpt from Firelord Zuko's memoirs that I found to be especially touching. The man may not have been a soldier, but he saw his fair share of fighting.

_Nothing can prepare you for battle. As a youth, I lusted for it; I wanted to fight, and it took me to the point of interrupting a war meeting; and you can see where that got me. As I grew, as I fought more, and as I mastered my own identity and I found my own motivations, it shaped me; changed me into the man I am today. Sure, I may have been a good person without events like the Battle of Yu Dao, the Agni Kai with my sister, or the many other skirmishes, battles, and duels I've been; but the experience of fighting another man or woman who has the full capacity to kill you is exhilarating in many ways. For me, it has turned me into a man who appreciates life in every aspect; having survived so many life-threatening situations has made me happier, in a perverse way._

Zuko's memoirs here perfectly fit the way I was after this war. So many years of fighting, war, and constant danger turned me into a shell; but when I returned home, I got help, I fell in love, and I learned to love life to its fullest.

I'm quite tired now, however; so I will conclude this entry for now. My wife wants to go to Ember Island in a few days, so I suppose I should begin packing.

* * *

**Qin Lee, signing off. **

**Just kidding. Next chapter we will see how our hero deals with his first battle in the days leading up to the fateful Siege of Ba Sing Se. Stuff's about to get epic._  
_**

**As always, please take a moment to review and thanks for reading. **

**Peace Out.**

**-IGdude117**


	4. Chapter 4: The Dawn Patrol

94 AG Summer- Camp Teshima, Early morning.

That morning, I was shaken awake by Hiro.

"Wake up," he whispered. "We're getting ready."

The tent was alive with activity as the squad members began digging through their equipment chests, strapping on their hard leather armor, the black and red colors dull in the early sunlight. I remember that my heart began pounding right around then as I went about the familiar ritual of putting on my armor.

In training, we had done drills to see how fast we could put our armor on, so the routine wasn't difficult. Strapping the tight leather armor onto my chest, strapping the weighted shoulder plates, then strapping my equipment belt on, and finally, pulling my boots on.

The armor, at first, had been heavy, but endless hours of training with it on during basic training had made it so that we were reasonably agile and used to the equipment's weight. I carefully watched the veterans; whereas I was sweating profusely under the armor and was very nervous, they were relatively relaxed, calmly putting on their armor with ease, sliding knives, short swords and other personalized weapons into their belts. I had spent some of my down time the previous day sharpening my sword, which I know slid into my belt. I remember keeping my helmet off, but following the others into the small space outside of the tent, where Captain Jirou was looking at a map with Sergeant Hikaru.

He glanced up at us, smirking.

"I see the recruits are settling in," he noted.

"Yes sir."

Clearing his throat, Jirou looked at the squad expectantly, flattening a map of Ba Sing Se out.

"As you know, we're gearing up for a full-scale siege of Ba Sing Se," the man said.

No matter how many times I heard that, it kept giving me shivers.

"To be able to break through the outer wall, we'll need a position from which the heavy artillery can fire from without being hit from the wall. We found this large indent," he said, pointing to a depression on the map a few miles from the outer wall.

"It would be a perfect location for our artillery to bombard the wall without running the risk of counterfire from the Wall. My scouts inform me that there is a small Earthbender patrol camped out in the area, running reconnaissance. You guys are going to join First Squad in assaulting and wiping out the Dirties. We'll need at least one dirty to interrogate, so don't flame everything you see. That's it. Dismissed."

The squad saluted, en masse, and I looked to Aoke in confusion.

"What's a Dirty?"

"Earthbenders," he replied, nonchalantly.

* * *

We deployed soon after that, marching over to the attack position in two columns, with Third Squad on the left, and First on the right. I had already put on my helmet, and was nervously scanning the horizon on either side, looking for enemies.

"Relax, kid," said a First squad soldier with a gruff voice. "If there are Dirties around here, they'll go for the rear of the column first. Middle of the column's safest place to be."

"Thanks," I replied, nervously.

"You a recruit? Camp Clupea?"

"Yeah."

"Did you have Sergeant Takano, by the way?"

"Actually, yeah; he was my drill sergeant."

A few of the men chuckled, and the firebender who was speaking to him chuckled through his helmet, sliding off the skull faceplate momentarily, revealing a bearded, rough face.

"He still a dour, grumpy bastard like before?"

I chuckled nervously, lowering my hands to my sides, walking normally.

"Yeah."

The man nodded in appreciation, sliding his faceplate back on with a grin, and the soft laughter, chatter, and chuckles from the continued.

* * *

Then, however, the First Squad's sergeant knelt, holding up a fist. Hikaru looked back at the column, making a quick succession of hand gestures, which I couldn't understand. Looking to Aoke for orders, my heart began beating faster and faster.

"What's going on?" I whispered urgently.

"Follow me; we're flanking to the left."

We crawled our way through some bushes quietly, as we neared the depression. I could see the bright white rock of the depression, as well as the faint wisp of smoke coming from its center, with the faint, harsh laughter echoing through its walls. I followed Aoke to a nearby rock, where we peeked over into the depression.

A group of earthbenders were gathered around a fire, strapping their green and tan armor on whilst they chatted. The leader, who was holding his bamboo hat in his hand. I could hear the faint _snap_ of twigs snapping as the squad got into position as a hand pressed itself into my shoulder, and Sergeant Hikaru's face appeared.

"First on the right, rookie," he whispered.

I assumed he wanted us to attack simultaneously; it was a strategy taught to us in Basic Training. I looked into the enemy squad, searching for my target, until I found him. He was a thin, gangly fellow who was working to pull his green, armored greave onto his leg. He looked young, with scraggly facial hair gracing his chin and a goofy, slightly silly face animated in laughter as he talked with a buddy.

Keita, the propaganda-obsessed man, tapped my shoulder softly.

"On the sergeant's command; pass it down."

I turned my head to look at the humorless Private Yuko, repeating the words. His helmet bobbed slightly as he passed the message down.

It seemed like an eternity; an eternity of intimate connection, of watching the man I was about to kill with intense eyes, trying desperately to ignore the basic human revulsion of killing and my hesitation.

Then from the far left, a single fireball arced towards the Earthbenders, and all hell broke loose. From all sides of the depression, fire streamed towards the Earth Kingdom soldiers, with dramatic effect; half the men went down instantly, the fire hitting vital body parts, killing them instantly. My target had reacted immediately, but as he ran towards cover, I reacted instinctively, letting a stream of fireballs towards the man.

The first three impacted on his back, throwing him forward several feet with screams of pain, then the last one hit him square in the chest, tossing him to the ground lifelessly.

In a moment, it was over. The Earthbenders below lay lifeless in the depression, and my heart was pounding more rapidly than it had ever done before, adrenaline flowing through my veins. I remember wanting to fight more, to punch something, to blow something up; the energy was exhilarating, and I, like the others, immediately popped up, intending to go down into the depression.

Then, from out of nowhere, a wave of rocks scythed out of the darkness, impacting on several benders' heads from the First Squad with a sickening _krak_.

From the opposite side came several squads of Earthbenders who began flinging rocks at us with deadly efficiency. With a scream, Private Yuko was flung backwards as a colossal rock careened into him at top velocity.

Then, reacting quickly, the squad scrambled into cover as rocks flung themselves at us. Suddenly, however, I was flung upward as the very ground itself threw me backwards, and I barely dodged several rock spikes that embedded themselves in the tree besides me. My adrenaline took over for me at that point, and I threw several fireballs in the general vicinity of the enemy. I scrambled over to Yuko's body desperately, crouching low as the _whizz_ of rock spikes flew over my body. I pulled his helmet off, checking for a pulse, but judging by the massive bruise on his forehead, he was gone. I rolled over; firing some more bolts at the other ridge, sliding into cover besides Aoke. The man's helm had been cracked severely, and I could see thin streams of blood falling from the gap beneath his helmet.

The man stood still for a moment, then, clapping his hands together rapidly, he released two waves of fire that crashed together concussively on the Earthbender position, tossing bodies in every direction. I fired more bolts blindly in the direction of the incoming fire, lifting my hands above the rock and releasing more. All around me, the percussive crash of rocks colliding with the ground mixed with the _fwoosh_ of fire being bended, and I simply crouched there, screaming at the top of my lungs in fear as the sounds of war raged around me.

Soon, I was being shaken by firm hands on my shoulder, and as my vision cleared, I was startled to see the face of Sergeant Hikaru looking into mine.

"Get a hold of yourself, Private Lee. Keep firing!" he shouted over the din, sprinting forward to the next position.

Trembling, I peeked over the lip of the rock, only to duck back down again as boulders bounced off our rock with concussive force. I glanced over at Aoke, who was laying on the ground, bleeding. I rushed over to him, tearing his helmet off, but I felt a faint pulse. His chestpiece was dented inwards, and it looked like he had taken a direct hit. I looked around wildly, seeing the zealot Keita shooting firebolts without hesitation.

"Death to the enemies of the Fire Nation!" he bellowed, sending a wave of fire towards the distant enemies.

"Keita," I bellowed. "Aoke's been hit; he needs help!"

Glancing over, Keita took stock of the situation, ducking back under his rock cover as rock spikes _whizzed_ overhead. A ridge of rock exploded out from where he had just been, and he glanced at it with a bemused expression. Then, pumping his legs into action, he sprinted across the small gap, sliding into a roll, landing perfectly near Aoke and I as another wave of rock spikes sliced by.

"I'll take care of him, kid; keep firing."

The rest of the battle is dim in my memory now, as it was then; in a battle, your instincts take over at a certain point, and the battle sort of turns into a blurry mess. I remember staying by the rock, firing blast after blast of fire until Keita was shaking me.

"It's over, rookie. Stop," he snarled.

Panting heavily, I ducked under the rock, listening.

There was only silence as the sharp smell of smoke wafted by and the faint _crackle_ of bushes burning murmured in the background.

"All clear!" shouted someone on the other side of the ridge, and the squad stood up gradually. I stood, in a daze, and I immediately tore off my helmet and took gulps of the fresh air in. The faint smoke burned my lungs, but I stared up in the sky, panting and sweating as voices began to shout back to one another.

Aoke's chest had been bandaged by Keita, who sat on a nearby boulder, gulping down water from his canteen. Then, taking one last swig, then handing the bottle to me.

"Drink some, kid. You've been screaming more than I have."

Gratefully, I took the water and gulped it down greedily, relishing the cool liquid's caressing feel.

Fujiko, the girl, emerged from the brush, and glanced at me impassively, turning her attention to Aoke.

"What happened to him?"

"Took a boulder to the chest," I gasped, leaning against a rock.

She crouched by him, checking his wound and inspecting his face. Then, standing, she looked at him with a faint expression of sadness.

"You'll want to go to the left, to Sergeant Hikaru. He needs to tell you something."

I nodded, and walked down the line slowly, leaving my helmet and gear behind casually. I gingerly stepped over the shards of boulders, looking at the opposite ridge. Distant figures in Fire Nation uniforms picked through the tangle of Earth Kingdom dead, picking up wounded from both sides from time to time.

I arrived at Sergeant Hikaru's spot before long, and stopped in my tracks. Two bodies in Fire Nation uniforms lay lifeless by his feet, and the sergeant looked at me with sadness, lifting a tarp over each of their bodies, but not before glimpses of their faces were burned into my mind.

"I'm sorry, private. Take your time," he said, laying a hand on my shoulder.

A mounting rage built up in my chest, and I shrugged his hand off, crouching by the two bodies. Hiro and Liao both stared into the sky blankly with lifeless eyes, and I crouched by them as the rage, frustration, and relief bled through and I began sobbing to myself.

It wasn't strictly for my two friends, either; it wasn't as simple as that. It was a mixture of pent-up fear from waiting for the mission, the complete terror I had felt during the battle, and the frustration and sadness at Hiro and Liao's untimely death. These all clashed in me, and I simply sat there, crouching by my two buddies, crying my eyes out.

* * *

That first battle changed me in many ways. Third Squad had taken heavy casualties, and was once again severely undermanned.

Private Yuko, the grim, hard-faced veteran of the Battle of Serpent's Pass and the Western Earth Kingdom Campaigns was killed by a single rock that killed him instantly. He had been twenty five years old; he was from Fire Fountain City. He had been a fisherman before the war, had volunteered, and was now dead after many years of exemplary service.

Corporal Aoke, the friendly, outgoing specialist that had befriended me instantly, was headed back to the Fire Nation after a boulder broke his ribcage, severely wounding him.

And my friends, Privates Hiro and Liao, fresh off the carriage, had been killed after Earthbenders tunneled beneath the depression and ambushed them from behind. Hiro had been the son of a military family from the Capital, and had been, by all rights, an exemplary soldier that showed great promise. Yet it had taken a single sword to slice him, and his destiny was severed forever.

Private Liao was twenty two when he died; a farmer from Shihuang Island, he had joined to make some extra cash, discovered he was a firebender, and had been killed in his first engagement.

The veteran First Squad had been almost completely decimated, also. Sergeant Ryouta, the leader of the First Squad, had been quietly killed by what had been identified as the Third Company of the Fourth Earth King's Legion. Only three people from First Squad survived; the rest, all hardened veterans, had perished.

Yet the toll we took on the enemy was significant. The Earth Kingdom Third Company had been completely decimated by our forces, starting with the advance party in the depression. Intelligence officers later told us that the Third was on its way to ambush outgoing Fire Nation patrols from Teshima.

We also took one prisoner, a Corporal who had surrendered after his company was killed to the last man. After coercion from some of the Intelligence officers, he gave up detailed plans of the Earth Kingdom's activities around Ba Sing Se, allowing General Iroh to deploy forces and clear the area surrounding Ba Sing Se of Earth Kingdom troops.

When we returned to the tent, Sergeant Hikaru allowed me to go through my friends' stuff and write any letters that I wanted. I found addresses to both, and wrote basically the same letter to both sets of families:

* * *

Here is the letter I wrote to the family of Hiro- whose father turned out to be General Mak of the Fire Nation Third Army.

_Dear General Mak,_

_It is my unfortunate duty to inform you that your son, Hiro, fell in battle today. My name is Private Qin Lee, and I consider Hiro to be a close friend; we were in Basic Training together, and both of us were the top firebenders in our class. Hiro was a man of few words; yet his shyness hid an overbearing confidence in everything that he did. He was one of the most skilled firebenders I've ever met, and I count myself lucky to have known him. It is with my deepest sorrow that I write to you now, General Mak._

_Sincerely,_

_Private Qin Lee_

* * *

I remember, during basic, there was an instance where we were running war games against another company, and Hiro decided to prank the other side. He managed to get himself an armband, and, grinning from ear to ear, proceeded to quietly burn the belts off every man in the company without being noticed. Upon returning to our lines, the distant shouts of embarrassment and shock echoed through the hills of Camp Clupea, and Liao and myself congratulated him on a job well done.

I guess we weren't the closest of friends; after all, I made many closer friendships than I had with Liao and Hiro. Yet the bond that we shared, having endured Sergeant Takano's abuse, having become men through Basic Training, made it painful to lose them so quickly. It was so sudden, so quick…

* * *

I turn now to yet another one of Fire Lord Zuko's memoirs, in which he details his feelings during the chaotic Hekeng Crisis of thirty years ago. Hekeng was a tough battle, and I barely missed being deployed there; some of my buddies were in that battle though, and from what I heard, it was hell.

"_In retrospect, having known the intentions of the Dai Li and their plans of Earth Kingdom reunification, I was justified in intervening in that city. Yet at the time, doubts were the only thing I could think of. Of course, my sense of duty towards the Fire Nation citizens that had survived through two days and nights of bloodthirsty rioting and imprisonment motivated the military intervention that resulted, but in the midst of the fighting and bloodshed, I could think of little else except the fact that I killed these men. When the Earth Kingdom Legion assaulted our position, when my soldiers; my people were falling like bundles of rock, I truly became acquainted with the bitter taste of war. It was nothing like Yu Dao, where no one died; we lost many men on that cursed battlefield, and I felt that it was my fault. _

_It is only in retrospect, having attended so many memorials, having spoken to so many veterans of the battle that I learned that not once did those soldiers think of me. Humbling as it may be, they fought for the redemption of our great nation, their own personal honor, and the safety of their family and friends. It was a sense of duty that propelled the men, and it was not duty to me._

_Honor, duty, love, and redemption are things that I have struggled with and looked for throughout my life. Although I would fight again many times, and take lives many times in the future, I would always remember that what I did, I did for my people, and my honor. _

_To do otherwise would be to drive oneself insane."_

(_The Pursuit of Honor_, page 122, vol. I)

* * *

As I write these words, I feel nothing but sadness and age. These events happened so long ago, that it's sometimes taken extensive research and hours of thinking to piece these together in a way that is exciting or at least interesting.

My daughter sometimes asks me why I did the things I did and how I felt about fighting for the wrong side, and for almost enacting genocide on the Earth Kingdom; after all, I was the one relaying orders that were vital in keeping our ship afloat; and had it not been for that _ridiculous_ ploy that Councilman Sokka pulled on the crew (don't even get me started on that), we would have burned the Earth Kingdom to the ground.

After the war, when the crews of the Airship fleet were apprehended and judged, I remember Firelord Zuko, young as he was, stopping by my cell as I awaited my judgment. Having been an Imperial Firebender, I clearly sported the tattoo of the Imperial Firebenders, a stylized flame on the right shoulder. When I bowed, he crouched in front of my cell, and motioned me to rise.

"You were on those airships?" he asked, quietly.

In my defense, we had never been fully briefed on the specifics of the mission; all we knew was that we were launching an invasion of sorts on the Earth Kingdom; we were just as surprised as everyone else when they started flaming the landscape, but since we were usually Imperial Firebenders, we simply accepted this and moved on. It's what we were conditioned to do.

"I was, Fire Lord. I have no excuse. I was on the airship that your friends commandeered, and I regret ever stepping foot on it."

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you locked away forever for war crimes."

I remember looking up at the young fire lord, desperately. I had no way of knowing how he was as a person, what he was like, or what he even thought of me. All I could see was the glaring, hateful burn mark that scarred his face.

"My Lord, I probably should be locked up. For six years I've fought in this blasted war, and I've served as an Imperial Firebender for two of those. I've done things I'm not proud of, and I regret many things, but I won't lie or grovel, my lord. I'm an honest man, my lord, and if that is what my punishment is, then I shall gladly serve it for the Fire Nation."

The young fire lord had been silent then, and then had spoken up.

"My uncle would have said that an honest man deserves a second chance."

"I served under your uncle for the Siege of Ba Sing Se, my lord, and he was the most honest man I've ever met."

The Fire Lord had been surprised by this, and had been silent for a time, thinking.

"You're an honorable man, Lieutenant Lee. I think we're similar people, Lieutenant; we both have something to apologize for, and we've both done bad in life. For people like us, honor becomes all we have left."

He had thanked me for my time, then, and had left my cell with his guard.

I learned later that he had asked his uncle about me, and, luckily, Iroh had remembered me from my later friendship with his son. In the end, I served three months for having been in the Phoenix King's armada, but I was released quickly and I returned to Varrus soon after that.

Some of the other guys, the really crazy ones that were ideological, and some of those captains got harsher sentences, and they deserved them. I remember one guy had become an Imperial firebender after massacring a village's inhabitants. It's the sickos like that that really give me the creeps.

But its the excuse of all those who fought for the Fire Nation during the War that 'we were simply following orders'. Yet it was people like Fire Lord Zuko, Admiral Jeong Jeong, and some of the other deserters that refused to follow our flawed government's insane orders and stood in defiance to Fire Lord Ozai. I, unfortunately, was not one of those brave men. I merely accepted it as the way things were and moved on; and I regret every moment of it.

* * *

**Next episode, we begin the final preparations for the Six Hundred Day Siege of Ba Sing Se. A lot of the situations in this story are actually loosely based of Stephen Ambrose's masterpiece _Band of Brothers_, which follows a WWII Parachute Infantry Regiment throughout the war. An avid WWII history buff myself, I found many of the surprisingly human interactions in the book to be quite interesting, so I'll be expanding on elements of that story. For fellow _Band of Brothers_ fans, expect to see some Speirs-like action in the near future. **

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. I promise it gets good. **

**Sincerely,**

**-IGdude117**


	5. Chapter 5: The Calm Before the Storm

94 AG late summer- Camp Teshima

In the wake of that patrol, the Third Squad's activity increased dramatically as we were called upon for a variety of missions. Several days after the first patrol, we went on another one where we skirted the perimeter of Baozhai Forest to the Southwest of the outer wall, but we weren't engaged in any skirmishes for several patrols. Many of them were uneventful, and we warily collected reconnaissance and information on the Dirties' fortifications.

General Iroh's efforts to clear the surrounding area around Ba Sing Se were very successful, as his leadership of the armies and his generals' tactical prowess ensured that the Earth Kingdom defensive forces were pushed back into the city.

To the North, the 12th Division, under General Shota, routed the Earth Kingdom in a series of massive clashes called the "Northern Skirmishes". Rumors around Camp Teshima had it that the legendary Yuyan Archers had been present during the battle.

"My buddy swore he saw one of them hit a man off the top of the wall from three miles away," soldiers would tell me.

Others talked about the Eastern campaign to clear the Eastern plains, where rumors told that the Dragon of the West himself, with a unit of Imperial Firebenders, had eradicated three battalions of Earth Kingdom soldiers single-handedly.

* * *

Tamura's _A History of the World _accurately paints a picture of the Clearance Campaign, as it was called.

"_It was, of course, of no surprise that Crown Prince Iroh, due to his extensive training in Firebending and his tactical training, led the First Army during the Clearance Campaign with great skill. It was here, in fact, that the traditional Fire Nation tactical doctrine of the later stages of the Hundred Years' War was formed; General Iroh would often utilize Artillery strikes, Firebenders, and Komodo-Rhino cavalry to punch through Earthbender lines decisively, followed by exploitations of the gap by regular infantry. Often referred to as "The Dragon's Breath", this tactic was most notably used to good effect in the siege of the Northern Water Tribe in the last days of 99 AG. In fact, had it not been for the appearance of the Avatar during the very battle, Admiral Zhao's invasion would have likely been successful."_

I know that the modern Fire Nation military, and the United Forces study the "Dragon's Breath" tactic extensively, but I've always thought that our victories in clearing the outside of Ba Sing Se was mainly our numerical superiority; given that the majority of the city was brainwashed into thinking there was no war (which we found out later) and the relatively low number of Earth Military recruits, the Fire Nation vastly outnumbered Earth Kingdom defensive armies in most encounters.

Our squad, however, did get into several more skirmishes before hell truly broke loose. Once again, as my memory is fading today, I've provided several journal entries that give insight into what it was truly like at that time.

* * *

_94 A.G- Summer, Day 168_

_We went on another patrol today, to the west of Ba Sing Se. The entire 122__nd__ Regiment marched out to preliminary positions surrounding the city, where increased Earthbender raids were giving the boys in the 20__th__ division some problems. We've basically been fending off Earthbender raids for several nights now. _

_I've lost track of how many fireballs I've bended, how many streams I've conjured, and how many men I've killed. Each man, after a while, becomes a faceless figure in green and tan uniforms. It's easier that way. There's no sense of elation, however. I don't punch my fists in the air with each kill, like Keita does. He spouts lines of the Fire Nation's Manifesto whilst bending waves of fire. _

_I always think of that one man, however; my first kill. The thin farmer we ambushed on my first patrol. I'll always remember him; his confused, startled expression as my fireball arced into his chest._

* * *

_94 A.G- Summer, Day 170_

_We're dug in pretty deep now. The Engineer Corps made wood-reinforced trenches for us to hide in, although I don't trust it one bit. Those buffoons seem to forget that we're fighting an enemy that can manipulate the ground among us. _

_We've been fighting off raids for the last… month, I think. The entire 32__nd__ Division has. General Bujing visited us on the front the other day. We had to stand in formation the whole damn time while he inspected us. I haven't stood at attention since Basic Training. _

_Bujing is a stern, uncompromising man that some of the others say sends regiments into battle for the sole purpose of creating a distraction; wouldn't surprise me. That man's eyes were so cold it made me shiver. _

_Our new regimental commander visited us today, and some of the men are understandably hesitant; Colonel Okada caught it in a raid a few nights ago, so Colonel Lu Ten, firstborn of Iroh, was given command of our regiment. He's fresh off the boat, so the men don't know what to think yet. Some respect him for his family name; others fear that he's a simple greenie fresh from the homeland. _

_We'll see._

* * *

_94 A.G- Summer, Day 173. _

_We caught it bad today. We held off a massive assault from a secondary gate somewhere. Intelligence says it was three Battalions of the Earth Kingdom Fourth Legion. All I know is that the bodies are strewn all in front of our positions. _

_I've been firebending almost nonstop lately. The go-to move throughout this campaign has undoubtedly been the fireball (or the Fire Fist, as Tanako would call it), and it has helped me out a lot. Sakai nearly got hit by a rock spike, but he ducked down to pick up his glasses in the nick of time. I guess the Professor has more luck than he puts on._

_We lost a few more replacements, also. A couple rookies got flattened by a giant boulder thrown from the wall, and some guys from Third Squad got hit, too. Good men, not anymore. _

_Aoke rejoined us today. It was interesting, seeing my old buddy get back from healing his broken chest. It's been a few months since that last patrol, and both he and I can hardly believe how much has changed. Now I'm a cold bastard with the wit of a serpent, I guess. _

Looking back, my writing skills may not have been the best, but it's interesting to see how much I changed from the first patrol to the last few days before the Siege. The multitude of skirmishes that I was in changed the nervousness that I had had in the first battle into steely determination. I don't remember exactly the second or third men I killed, but I always remember the first one.

* * *

The 122nd Regiment, my regiment, was the first of three Firebender Regiments in the 32nd Division under General Bujing. Turns out my knack for knowing important people would continue, as our very own General Bujing was the very same one that Prince Zuko interrupted and was scarred for later on in the war. Funny how things work out.

After having spent two weeks in Camp Teshima, the 32nd Division was reassigned to the Western side of Ba Sing Se, where we were to reinforce the 20th Division. As I noted in my journal, we were entrenched in earthen fortifications, which was an extremely stupid decision, as was shown later. Many times, earthbenders would tunnel through the ground and pop up in the middle of our lines, wreak havoc, and disappear. It wasn't until after the start of the Siege that we received iron plates to shield our trenches from infiltration.

We stayed in our positions for a month or two as General Iroh made the final preparations to beginning the Siege. Behind us, the artillery regiments were setting up their trebuchets in anticipation of bombarding the walls, and rumors flew around the First Army about when the invasion would start.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, a letter from General Iroh was circulated around the army.

I remember sitting by a campfire, chatting with Private Fujiko (whom I had befriended by convincing her I _wasn't_ a complete idiot), Sakai, and Okada when Sergeant Hikaru walked by and handed out this letter, which I still have to this day.

* * *

_Soldiers, Firebenders, and Cavalrymen of the First Army:_

_Tomorrow, we shall embark on our final journey and the last great conquest of the glorious Fire Nation. For many years, our country and my family have struggled to attain our rightful place in the world. Many of us, as we all know, have shed blood, lost friends, and sacrificed much in securing the perimeter of this Great City. The eyes of the Fire Nation are upon you, my brothers, on this day of days. _

_What I ask of you is hard. After all, it is not without reason that Ba Sing Se is called the "Unbreakable City." Many generations of men, not just Fire Nation, have tried to tame this great city, and none have succeeded. Even the Great Chin the Conqueror, the Rebel King, could not subjugate this strong city. Many of us have fought hard to dent these great, broad walls, without any effect, and many have died for little gain. _

_But this is the year 94 AG. Much has changed from our past attempts. We have now the greatest force in Fire Nation history poised to descend upon this city in the name of the Fire Nation. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers, firebenders, Komodo-Rhinos, and trebuchets are ready for their final test in the flames of war; and I have every confidence that you will succeed. _

_So good luck. And let us break the Unbreakable City in the name of Firelord Azulon, Fire Lord Sozin, and the great Fire Nation that will soon be the undisputed master of the world!_

_May the Spirits guide you._

_Crown Prince Iroh I_

"What a speech," I noted wryly after finishing it.

"I wonder if he wrote it himself or if he had some poor sucker from the Capital come out here and compose it himself," asked Fujiko, elbowing Sakai in the ribs.

"Why are you asking me? I dropped out, remember? You guys always forget that," he complained, rubbing his ribs in pain.

"We're merely acknowledging your great intellectual superiority, Professor Sakai," I said mockingly, sipping from my metal tea cup gratefully.

We all laughed, slapping Sakai on the back jovially.

Then, the mood changed, and we were suddenly silent.

"Tomorrow's the big day, I guess," I pointed out soberly, sipping softly from my cup again.

Fujiko snorted derisively.

"Way to figure _that_ one out, genius," she said, chewing thoughtfully on a duck-chicken egg.

"You scared, Lee?" Sakai teased, wiping his glasses off.

I punched him in the shoulder indignantly, drawing another round of laughs, yet inside my now scratched, dented, and dirtied armor, I shifted uncomfortably.

The truth was, yes. I was scared. Yet the fear that I had that night wasn't the same type of fear, the same type of terror that I had had the first night. That first night, your head swirls with unanswered questions and the wild imaginings of your head. Yet as a veteran, having gone through many skirmishes and battles, my body and mind already knew what was coming; the desperate, arbitrary battle that could just as easily end in death as it could victory.

* * *

That night, our squad, or, at least, the veterans, concentrated on polishing our dirtied armor to its formerly pristine quality. We had received a new shipment of recruits a few days ago, and I could see those kids sitting awake in their tents, no doubt apprehensively thinking about the battle to come.

I remember opening my bag and staring at my white, iron skull plate. When I had first arrived, it had been pristinely white; unblemished and pure. Now, however, having worn it through many battles, it was dented, scratched and singed around the edges.

Here, I traced a long parallel scratch that had been the result of a near-miss from a Dirty soldier's blade, which had reminded me well of why we wear helmets. There, I brushed against a dent where a grazing rock spike had narrowly missed going into the helmet's eye slit, but had instead bounced off a tree weirdly.

I remember spending much of that night restoring my gear and thinking about life in general. It had been nearly half a year since I had departed home to attend basic training. It had been half a year since I had made the acquaintances of Hiro and Liao, and it had been only three months since they had been killed.

Aoke had returned several days later, but he had returned a changed man; the once outgoing, humorous self had been replaced by a grim, dour man who was often silent. Corporal Okada often said that going back to the homeland, then returning into battle once more changed a man, and I could see that in Aoke's faraway stares and late-reacting responses.

Ironically, my closest friend had become Fujiko. After my friends died, she began taking a more sympathetic approach to me, and we ended up next to each other in our marching column when the division was moving to the west. Many of the days we spent traveling were taken up by lengthy discussions with the once-cold woman, and we quickly became friends.

Fujiko was pretty, that much was obvious, and her scar somehow made her even more beautiful. Her short, black hair hung down loosely, barely obscuring a long, parallel scar that ran down her cheek from an Earth Kingdom soldier's halberd. She had long, flowing features and a slender body that wasn't too bad, but her defined muscles were also obvious under her uniform.

Yet, strangely, I never thought of her in a romantic way. As I learned more about her, I just felt respect for her and admiration.

Fujiko was born in the Fire Nation colony of Shuyang, to the west of the Earth Kingdom. She grew up in a simple farming family until, when she was twelve; her village was raided and destroyed by an attacking Earth Kingdom army. It had been then that her overriding hatred of Earthbenders had begun.

She wandered around the country after that, running errands for various criminal gangs and triads, until she stole from a crime boss in the colony of Hekeng, and joined the Army at the age of seventeen.

She had then discovered her talent of firebending, and had been regarded by many to be a very skilled firebender. Prior to my joining the company, she had served in the company for three years and had even earned the prestigious Dragonbone Medal, which had been given to her by General Iroh himself.

"He smelled like green tea," she liked to tell people, "and was a little chubby, but I could tell from his eyes that he could kill me as easily as he brewed tea."

We often talked about our hometowns, however. I'd tell her about growing up in Varron, about visiting the fish market, watching the ships go to and from the docks, and cheering at the side of the road whenever soldiers marched through.

For her, she described the idyllic years of her youth in Shuyang-playing with her friends in the rolling hills, working extensive hours in the fields with her friends and family, nights around the campfire telling stories.

What was often curious was that each of us wished we had each others' life. For me, I missed the sense of belonging, surety, and simplicity that she had had as a child. For her, it was the city life and growing up in relative wealth.

* * *

Nearer to the middle of the night, I was woken for guard duty, and I gathered my spear and shield up and traveled to the trench, looking across the long plains at the distant, tan walls of Ba Sing Se. I stood there for a time, simply watching the dim lights of Earth Kingdom sentries walking across the walls and the dim lights of the interior city. I wondered if, on the walls, some Earth Kingdom soldier was looking towards our lines, regarding the distant campfires and tents with curiosity.

I was startled by the sound of skidding rocks, but I saw that it was just Fujiko sliding in the trench.

"Hey," she said, leaning her head on her hands on the trench lip, gazing across the plains.

Then, after a time of silence, she spoke.

"You ready for tomorrow?"

"I guess," I replied, uncertainly.

"Just do your job and stay alive," she said, advising him.

I chuckled softly, picking at a chip in the shaft of my spear.

"I know the drill; I'm not a recruit anymore."

She chuckled, idly sharpening her knife as she stared at the city.

"It's a beautiful city. It's a shame we can't see it from the inside," I noted.

She nodded in agreement.

"I'll hand it to those dirties, they know how to build cities. And I'm sure we'll see it from the inside soon enough. As soon as we break through those walls, the city's toast; we can take the entire city after that."

"The Wall hasn't fallen in ten thousand years, they say," I pointed out.

"They used to say that the Dragons couldn't be killed, but the Dragon of the West certainly showed them, right? Legends are made to be despised, Qin Lee. I don't put any stock in them, and neither should you."

I stopped talking then, and we sat there for the rest of my shift, staring at the distant wall and quietly chatting in the dim light of the trench torches.

In his memoirs, Avatar Aang said that _"the silence before an unavoidable battle is terrifying and comforting at the same time."_

Of course, he was talking about the days before the Day of Black Sun, but the same principle applied to me before the Siege.

The great walls of the city that I knew would be spewing rock and crawling with Earth Soldiers were to me at that moment terrifying and beautiful. I suppose it's another one of those "War is Hell" moments, but it was certainly my emotion during that time.

I've talked with several other veterans, and they all agreed with my assessment of the calm before the storm. One guy from the 12th Division put it quite well.

"_It was like a forbidden city that is perpetually just out of reach. Like that old spirit tale of Fu the Fat; whenever he would reach for the bananas, it would shrink from his grasp, and whenever he would try to drink the water, it would dry up. That is the closest I can describe the effect Ba Sing Se had on me. It was truly the greatest city on earth. A sprawling metropolis that, like Fu's forbidden fruit, could never be held down and could never be captured."_

* * *

**The tension builds. Next episode, the Six Hundred Days begins and our hero is thrust into the heart of the storm. **

**Thanks for sticking with me through this story and thanks for all the reviews and favorites! It helps.**

**Thanks for reading,**

**IGdude117**


	6. Chapter 6: The Siege Begins

94 AG- The Western Front

It began in the morning with the sound of marching feet and the distant crash of rock on rock. As I woke up suddenly, the sounds of shouting, marching feet, and clanking equipment filled the air.

It was time.

Hurriedly, we put on our armor, gathered our gear, and joined the streams of soldiers marching to the front. I found my way behind Fujiko and Sergeant Hikaru. All around us were soldiers; the white faceplates of firebenders formed white waves intermixed with red and black uniforms. The red rimmed helmets of Infantrymen and the thickets of halberds, spears and swords shined brightly in the morning light. Behind us, swarms of Komodo-Rhino riders crawled slowly forward, teams of two riders looking towards the city expectantly.

With another succession of clanking metal sounds, a volley of massive fire-coated rocks arced towards the city, one volley after another exploding on the distant wall with concussive force.

Soldiers began pouring into the trench works en masse, and I found my way to the frontlines alongside my squad and other Firebenders. Although my faceplate blocked much of my vision, the sight was inspiring. Stretching into a colossal line, extending into the horizon, the white faceplates of three entire regiments of Firebenders speckled the trench works throughout the western front.

* * *

"_Even in the distance, we could see the iconic white skull of the Firebending corps. Our officers tried calming us down, but several men tried to run in fear. We all knew those helmets well; many of the wall guardsmen had come from the villages that the Fire Nation had attacked first. The story was always the same, too. First came the ash pouring from the heavens, then the hordes of skull-faced heartless monsters who spewed flames from their hands and took no prisoners. _

_So when we looked over the ramparts at the seemingly infinite number of white helmets, with swarms of supporting infantry, cavalry, and artillery, the sense of dread hit every man hard. Today was the day that the Fire Nation would attack. _

_Some stuck to the strength of our walls, but the older veterans, who had faced the Fire Nation in the past, knew that the Fire Nation would not be stopped by simple rock."_

An infantryman on the Eastern side wrote that in his journal on the day of the siege.

* * *

Behind us, men were running to and fro as throngs of infantrymen milled idly, waiting for action. Sergeant Hikaru walked through the lip of the trench.

"Prepare to fire," he shouted, and all the firebenders readied their fists in anticipation.

Then, down the line, sergeants from the many squads bellowed the word fire, and a deluge of flames erupted from the Fire Nation lines.

What I didn't know at the time was the recent military technology developed by the military at this time. Blasting Jelly, which had been discovered in the Fire Nation, was found to have extremely volatile properties that made it invaluable as an explosive.

As a result crates of blasting jelly were shipped to the front line and used to coat the rock missiles being used for the trebuchets.

Also, it scared the living daylights out of all of us firebenders when our fireballs exploded concussively on the distant wall, breaking chunks off. Aoke, a few places down from me, chuckled to himself as he bended large fireballs towards the wall.

Then came the return fire—a flurry of activity erupted on the wall, and colossal rocks were suddenly hurled toward our lines. Screams of pain and fear erupted as large boulders careened into the trench lines, flattening scores of Infantrymen and Firebenders alike.

"Get to cover," bellowed another sergeant, and the men hurriedly ducked beneath the metal walls of the trench as rocks crashed into the ground with percussive explosions.

* * *

The artillery tradeoff continued for hours as the infantry in the trenches slowly filtered into the pre-constructed metal bunkers that were embedded in the trenches. Our squad hunkered into a dimly lit metal bunker, and as the distant _thumps_ of rocks crashing into both Ba Sing Se's wall and our lines.

"Are these things even safe?" asked a nervous replacement, from the corner.

We all looked at the replacement, then at Sakai in expectation. The man sighed in exasperation, pushing his glasses up in annoyance.

"I can't say for sure, given that I haven't actually _seen_ a field test with one of these bunkers, but I'd say yes, they are safe. It would take a battalion of Earthbenders all concentrating on this one spot to begin crushing it from the outside, and I doubt that they can get close enough to do enough damage."

Relieved, the rookie leaned back in the corner, quickly falling asleep. Aoke sat in the corner curled up, his soft snoring emanating from the mass of armor that was him. A few other replacements and Yuko all slept in peaceful slumber in various positions around the bunker.

"How long do you give it until they come out?" I asked grimly.

Corporal Okada shifted his leaning position, peeking out of the corner of his eye.

"Either tonight or early tomorrow. They'll want to disable the artillery. Its probably breaking through the wall faster than they can fix it."

There was a murmur of assent as the men nodded in agreement.

"Any idea how many casualties?"

Okada stretched slightly and sat up, giving up his attempt at falling asleep.

"The Regulars lost a lot of guys. I think I heard the Prince say it was around three hundred from all three of our Infantry regiments."

"Why are they even here right now?" asked Fujiko, coldly.

"We'll only need them once we break through the outer wall; they're useless until then."

Okada smirked slightly.

"Hey, if some poor bastard in the Infantry Corps gets it instead of me, I ain't complaining."

The men nodded in agreement again.

"What do you guys think about Prince Lu Ten," asked Okada, after a while.

"We haven't been in the bad stuff yet, but he seems competent so far. He reacted well when we started getting return fire; he issued the order to hunker down here only when the counter fire got to be too bad."

"If any of his fathers rubbed off on him, he'll be a fine leader," said Fujiko, who leaned against the metal wall in exhaustion.

"I guess we'll see tomorrow, then," I pointed out.

After that, the discussion died out, and we went to sleep, tired after a long day.

* * *

The attack came sooner than expected. It seemed like almost immediately after I fell asleep that shouts of "To Arms" came from the outside. Simultaneously, we all woke up with a start, and, realizing what was happening, hurriedly crammed on our helmets and rushed outside.

The dim light of the torches showed swarms of men rushing out of the bunkers and onto the trench lip. I peeked over the ramparts curiously, only to duck down as rock splinters and arrows came hissing above my head. From the brief glimpse I could see, there were a lot of enemies.

There were flashes of red and orange as benders began firing into the oncoming horde, and some Regulars began firing arrows. I popped over the lip several times, bending fireballs left and right into the distant crowd.

Above us, artillery began falling into the oncoming attack, and throngs of men fell over, burning to death from the tarry oil of the rock missiles.

Earth soldiers were falling by the hundreds, but the horde kept coming inexorably, ignoring its losses like a maddened bull.

"Over the top!"

Men began swarming over the trench, charging into the oncoming horde with shouts of "For the Fire Nation!"

I remember looking at them as if they were insane, but then feeling curiously inspired as adrenaline flowed through my body rapidly.

"What the…" murmured Fujiko.

Then, Sergeant Hikaru, too, vaulted the trench wall, and we instinctively followed suit. Wherever the sarge went, we went.

I ran through the darkness, bending fireball after fireball towards the approaching horde, and, as we neared their lines, we drew our swords and readied flames in our hands.

We crashed into the line quickly, and we were flung into battle immediately.

To my left, an Earth Soldier came, screaming in anger, with a billed pike, stabbing it towards my midriff, which I barely dodged. Reacting, he swung it, trying to catch me off balance, but I ducked beneath his pike and lunged forward, driving my sword into his chest with a shout.

A pair of arms grabbed me from behind, and I instinctively formed fire jets from my fists and stabbed backwards, being rewarded with a scream of pain. I swirled around instinctively, taking a split moment to size up the reeling Earthbender, then I flung him away with a full powered fire blast to the center of his chest.

A few Earth soldiers then surrounded me, and we were motionless for a second in the broiling melee, until I took the initiative.

I lunged towards the first man, ducking beneath his clumsy sword swing, and I plunged my blade into his leg, eliciting a scream. I abandoned the sword hurriedly and turned my shoulder towards an oncoming axe blade, resulting in the blade grazing my shoulder pad, ripping through the leather armor. As the man struggled to regain his balance, I kicked my leg into his abdomen, sending him flying with a ferocious blast of fire from my boot. The last man sprinted at me, flinging chunks of earth at me with his bending.

A large chunk caught me in the head, catching me off balance and knocking my helmet off. My head felt dim and dizzy, and as I fell back, pillars of rock burst from the ground, encasing my hands and feet in unyielding rock. The man grinned in triumph, and was about to send a rock spike through my throat when a blast of fire caught him off guard, felling him instantly, the rock pillars collapsing into dirt. I knelt on the ground, blindly taking a hand, finding myself staring into the face of Prince Lu Ten.

"Let's get these bastards," he said, and together, we began flinging fireballs into a group of oncoming Earth Soldiers, knocking several to the ground. Then, as he drew a curved sword, we once again threw ourselves into the melee.

The battle went on for what seemed like forever. Besides the snippets I described above, I can remember very little about the battle itself. I do remember snippets, however. I remember ducking under another man's spear thrust and disarming him swiftly, stabbing his own spear quickly into his chest, killing him instantly.

After what seemed like an eternity of pure adrenaline and reflex, the battle was over, and the dim rays of sunlight were beginning to light up the sky. All around us lay bodies, Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom both.

I once again found myself next to Prince Lu Ten, and I nodded towards him thankfully. The man had been a firebending beast, sweeping away scores of enemies with waves of flame and even using his father's trademark "fire breath" move, exhaling waves of fire towards his enemies.

"Thank you, sir."

The Prince was silent, his bloodied face reflective as he limply held his dented, blood-smeared sword in exhaustion. Then, turning, he nodded back.

"What's your name, soldier?"

"Private Qin Lee, sir. 13th Company."

The Prince nodded silently, and I left him alone, bowing towards him and looking for my squad. As I gingerly stepped over bodies, I realized that my arm was hurting very badly and realized that it had been sliced open and was bleeding quite profusely.

With a surge of panic, I knelt on the ground and hurriedly wrapped the wound in bandages from my pouch and stemmed the bleeding, gritting my teeth against the dull stinging that lit my arm on fire.

Then, as I sat on an Earth Soldier's body in exhaustion, I looked around.

The fields that had been previously bare were now full of bodies. The hulking carcasses of Komodo Rhinos lay alongside cracked skull faceplates and the mangled bodies of Regulars.

* * *

When I found my squad again, I was dismayed to find that Sergeant Hikaru had been severely wounded. An Earthbender's rock spike had punctured his armor, and he had been rushed to the rear field hospital for an operation.

"Who's our officer now?" Sakai asked, sitting on the dusty metal of the trench in exhaustion.

We had all made it back to the trenches, and gaggles of Fire Nation soldiers were slowly filtering back into the trench system in exhaustion. The 32nd Division, it appeared had taken heavy casualties, and fresh troops were filtering forward to reinforce the forward position.

Corporal Okada looked up blankly, a vacant look in his eyes. Hikaru had been a mentor and close friend to Okada, we knew, so we had left him alone when we returned to the trench.

"I suppose I am," he murmured, running his hands through his blood-matted hair tiredly.

Then we simply sat there in silence, lying on the floor of the trench in pure utter exhaustion.

* * *

Yet that battle was only the beginning of our problems. I have supplied some more journal entries to give a sense of the long days of the Siege in lieu of direct description; its easier this way.

_Day 23 of the Siege, Summer 94 AG._

_There was another assault today, around noon. They tried coming through the bottom of the trench like they did before but found their way blocked by our metal plates; finally something that works against these bastards. _

_Anyways, they popped out of the ground in front of us en masse like possum-dogs or something. We fought them for a good three hours before some Komodo Rhinos from the 22__nd__ Regiment routed them. _

_Sakai nearly got it again; his helmet barely prevented a rock spike from impaling his head; just goes to show how important it is to wear the skull every day. _

_I'm tired now, and it feels like there'll be another assault soon. All I can seem to hear now and forever is that damned screaming sound that our artillery makes when the projectiles are going towards the wall. Colonel Lu Ten says we've made a lot of progress. _

_He spends a lot of time with the Thirteenth Company; maybe because Captain Jirou has been leading our company in the defense of the line well. Compared to the other companies in the regiment, in fact, we've had the smallest amount of casualties since the war started. _

_Day 50, Summer 94 AG_

_Another replacement got killed today. We had a large force of dirties try to overrun the positions from the front, but we managed to hold them off. A few guys got hit by rock spikes, however. Colonel Lu Ten and the Tenth Company attacked them from the flank, and we managed to rout them quickly. Those guys never learn._

* * *

_Day 100, Fall 94 AG_

_The days are getting colder. We've been in these lines for nearly three months with no rest. Nightly raids, counterattacks, and artillery strikes have worn my nerves down. And every day there is that damned sound of the artillery pounding away at a wall that won't give up. Curse the dirties and their precious wall. They just don't give up, do they?_

_Prince Lu Ten sent out another patrol to the wall to assess damage. We left in the middle of the night and barely avoided a few wall patrols. The damage is quite extensive, however. The wall is pockmarked and damaged, and cracks splay from the wall like spider webs. The Dirties seemingly try to repair the wall with their bending, but it's only a half-done job, and the damage is still extensive. _

_I've been here for too damn long._

* * *

The siege dragged on for the 122nd Regiment, which saw only several brief rest periods in Camp Teshima before it was thrown back into the battle. The days grew colder and colder, and in the trenches, we wrapped ourselves in rags and overcoats, lighting small fires in the trenches to warm ourselves as the days stretched on and the end of the year 94 neared. The last biggest engagement we fought was against another Earthbender attack, which saw the enemy form giant rock walls and attempt to overrun us that way, which we held off using blasting jelly and specialist attacks from Aoke and the other squad specialists.

A few days after that, after several days of torrential snow and rain, the 122nd Regiment was relieved by General Kenshin's 26th Regiment in the field; we gratefully exited the dirty trenches around the city, shaking hands with the clean-shaven, fresh uniformed Firebenders of the 26th.

I remember walking up to approaching firebenders, shouting over the loud sounds of the artillery fire, and shaking hands left and right as I shouldered my pack and equipment.

"Good luck and have fun," I shouted to men.

Fujiko grinned at me and I laughed, the joyous feeling of being out of those damp trenches becoming overwhelming.

We redeployed to Camp Teshima, where most of us immediately crashed into bunks.

"Get your rest," said Corporal Okada, smiling.

"We get to go on leave tomorrow."

* * *

The next morning, Prince Lu Ten gathered the regiment in a clearing by the 122nd's tents. We stood at attention in dirty, mud-caked uniforms, with scratched and dented equipment, snow softly falling through the air and jets of steam erupting from our mouths as we breathed in the cold air. He stood at the center of the remnants of the 122nd and began to speak.

"Men," he said, looking around at each of us in turn.

"You have done your duty to the Fire Nation and have made your commanders proud. We have defended the Western line against the Earth Kingdom counterattacks for three grueling months, and we've defended them with sacrifice, bravery, and honor. I am truly proud of each and every one of you.

You now have the opportunity to go wherever you like for two weeks. Ships returning to the homeland will be departing in approximately one hour. Any men wishing to travel to the colonies can find a spot on some of our supply convoys; report to the eastern gate if you want to do so.

You have fought bravely and sacrificed much for these past months. Go now and relax with your friends and families; you have deserved it. I expect to see you in fourteen days. Until then, farewell."

The man saluted smartly, and the regiment snapped to attention, saluting the Fire Nation flag fluttering in the wind. Then, Lu Ten relaxed, and the men dispersed quickly.

We returned to our tent and everyone began gathering their packs. I smiled at Fujiko, who was packing her backpack besides me.

"Where are you gonna go?" I asked, opening my personal crate to gather my belongings.

"I have family living in the colony of Yu Dao. I think I'll go visit them. You?"

"I'm going back home to Varrus. I haven't seen my parents in forever, so I think I'll pay them a visit. You should stop by sometime; we can share a drink in the tavern down the street."

She smiled, nodding.

"I just might do that, Qin Lee. Enjoy yourself, would you? We've all deserved it."

She hefted her pack on her shoulder, winked at me, and strode out of the tent briskly.

As I rummaged through my pack, I stopped when I came across the letters I had written to Liao and Hiro's families. I hadn't gotten around to sending them, and a sense of sadness settled over me. I resolved to visit each family myself and give them the letters personally; they deserved that, at least.

* * *

I boarded a large transport ship soon after and found myself on the deck, sitting against the railing as smoke poured out of the ship's smokestack as it groaned into life, chugging along.

The deck was full of relaxing soldiers; some had the uniforms of the Fire Nation Infantry Corps, other the Firebenders. Some I recognized from other companies in my regiment, and others I had seen in the trenchworks from time to time.

"Hey you're with the Thirteenth, right?" asked a nervous voice from my left.

I looked to the side and smiled inwardly as two fresh-faced recruits, a boy and a girl, looked at me in awe. I suppose I must have made quite a sight; my armor was caked in dried mud and blood, and my helmet, which rested beside me, had wicked scratches and dents in it. I had taken to following Aoke's peculiar tradition of making scratch marks for every soldier he killed. The tally marks, twenty three of them, stretched across my left breastplate menacingly, a testament to my experience and potency.

"Yeah. Just outta the Western Line. Looking forward to going home."

The boy looked amazed, and the girl looked scared of me. I chuckled inwardly, marveling at the fact that I had ever been like them.

"What's it like? Over there, I mean," the girl asked.

I took a swig from my canteen, offering it to them, which they refused.

"Chaotic. Artillery flies above your head as the Dirties launch an assault every thirty minutes. All I know is I'm damn glad I'm out of that place," I grumbled.

The two kids shut up quickly, going back to their own business, but occasionally shooting interested glances in my direction.

* * *

When the ship pulled into Varron, I had just woken up. A feeling of relief then settled over me as the familiar sight of the Varron docks, the market stalls and the familiar stores and houses that nestled alongside the seafront. Shouldering my pack, I stepped off the ship gratefully, feeling the familiar tough wooden docks of my hometown.

As I walked down the street, I saw many familiar faces, and I had many people greet me. Taro, a fisherman that was a good friend of my mothers, bowed in my direction, his face beaming.

"Welcome back, Qin Lee; it's good to see you," he said, wrapping me in a hug.

"It's good to see you too, Taro. It's been a long time."

"What are you doing here? Are you on leave?"

"Yeah, we have two weeks' furlough."

He bowed again, and walked into the distance, smiling back at me.

As I neared my house, a tall man of about fifty stopped me.

"Did you come from Ba Sing Se?" he asked, a desperate look on his face.

"Yes, sir. I'm on leave."

"You wouldn't happen to know a Corporal Okada, would you?"

Realization dawned on my face, and I bowed deeply to the man.

"You must be Okada's father. Corporal Okada is my commanding officer and a close friend."

The man smiled the truth registering.

"You must be Qin Lee, then. My son mentioned you in a few letters a while ago. Where is he?"

"He told me that he's going to visit a friend in the Colony of Dajing for a day; he said he'll be arriving here tomorrow."

Okada's father thanked me extensively, and offered to host me for dinner, but I politely refused.

"I would like to see my parents; my apologies."

We then bowed to each other, and I continued walking to our house. Then, pausing outside the door, I stared at my house. It seemed so… unreal; that after months of fighting, death, and destruction, I would be back here, my home. I quietly walked to the door and knocked quietly, waiting for a response as I set my pack on the ground.

The door opened and my mother stood there. For a moment, her face was shocked, and then, after realizing who I was, her eyes filled with tears and she hugged me tightly, crying into my shoulder. I hugged her back, and I felt tears brimming in my own eyes.

Then, after a long time in that position, she broke away, and looked into my face, smiling.

"I prayed to the spirits every night that nothing bad would happen to you. It's so good to see you, Qin Lee."

"I'm glad to be back, mother. It's been too long."

She led me into the house by my hand, and my father walked into the hallway, his nose buried in a newspaper.

"Aiko, who was at the door?" he asked.

When there was no response, he looked up, and his face also registered shock. Then, striding forward, the old man wrapped me in a hug, holding me tightly.

"When did you get back?" he asked, holding my shoulders as tears filled his eyes.

"Just a few minutes ago. I'm on leave for two weeks."

My mother and father hugged me together, and we stood there in the hallways that I had once played in, not speaking, enjoying each other's company. Being wrapped in the embrace of the two people I trusted most allowed me to relax, and it felt as if a massive weight had dropped from my shoulders.

I was home.

* * *

**Our hero is safe, but the battle rages on. It won't be long before Qin Lee must return to the front and risk certain death. Until then, however, what will our hero do? Tune in next time to find out.**

**(Sorry for the Korra-esque narration)**

**As usual, thanks for reading and please review. **

**Thanks, **

**IGdude117**


	7. Chapter 7: Rest and Recuperation

94 AG Mid Winter - The City of Varron

For the first time in a long time, I slept in. To be honest, it felt more glorious than anything ever could have felt. When I woke, I felt for the first time that I was well rested. There was no lingering fatigue like when I was on the front, being awakened by shouts of alarm or the _foom_ of fire being bended.

No, I woke up in a soft feather bed with a large pillow beneath my head and clean sheets. There was no cold metal of the bunker or the dirty rags that passed for blankets that barely warded off the cold that permeated my itchy, uncomfortable armor.

I sat up in the bed and looked around wearily. I was in my old room. On the walls hung faded propaganda posters that I had gotten from school, as well as pages from my favorite action stories and a ripped, worn out painting of Great Grandfather Yamashita, who had been a colonel under Firelord Sozin.

The door opened, and my father walked in, smiling at me.

"I'll bet it feels good to be in a real bed, right? I imagined. How long has it been since you've been in this room?"

I scratched my head, thinking.

"A little more than a year, I'd say. I don't really remember things as well anymore."

"Well, your mother and I are going to a restaurant for breakfast. If you want to join us, feel free to, but take your time. I know you need your rest."

I stood from the bed, stretching.

"Its fine, Dad; I'll come. I want to see the city again."

My father nodded in satisfaction and left the room. I looked around, thinking about what I would wear outside. I opened my drawer, smiling in amusement when I looked at the clothes that I knew would no longer fit my muscled form.

I opened my pack and took out my clean dress uniform, and quickly buttoned the fatigues up. I had just readied it completely when my mother knocked at the door softly, glancing in.

"Someone from the Army's here to see you, Qin Lee."

Her face looked worried, and a jolt of fear ran through me; were they revoking the furlough? Were they redeploying us? Was the siege failing? I walked down the stair briskly, and stopped at the door, coming face-to face with Okada.

The man grinned and wrapped me in a bear hug.

"It's good to see you, Qin Lee."

"It's only been a day, sir," I said with a grin.

He smiled and held out a small box. Confused, I grabbed it, and was startled to find a Corporal's insignia staring up at me. The gold-trimmed lining that would eventually be sown on my uniforms shone brightly.

"I'm being promoted?"

The man nodded with a grin, shaking my hand.

"Aoke, the bastard, got transferred back to the homeland to train recruits. I'm Sergeant Okada now, and you and Fujiko are being bumped up to Corporals; Fujiko's my second, and you're my specialist. Congratulations."

I smiled gratefully, but felt a sense of sadness for Aoke.

The man, as of late, had been withdrawn, silent, and reserved. Being wounded in the Patrol back then had changed him a lot; he no longer made jokes, laughed, or even seemed to enjoy himself. I hoped inwardly that the man would find some peace and quiet wherever he was to be transferred, and wished him the utmost luck.

I bowed to Okada gratefully, which he returned.

"I'm gonna go spend some time with my father, but let's grab a drink in the evening, eh? My treat. There are a few other vets in the city that I'll invite and we'll share a pint in the tavern, alright?"

I smiled, nodding, and saluted to Okada, who stiffly returned the gesture, walking back down the street with a grin on his face.

"A comrade of yours?" asked my father, curiously.

"Yeah. He's my commanding officer. I got promoted to Corporal, and he got Sergeant."

My father smiled.

"Congratulations, Qin Lee. That's great news. Let's celebrate over breakfast."

* * *

We walked a few blocks away to a small restaurant that overlooked the seafront. My parents, obviously having repeated this tradition many times, went immediately to a small corner table in the side of the restaurant. I noticed that as I wound my way through the tables, my uniform's distinctive gray, black and red colors, with the small flame insignia on my collar that denoted a Firebender, drew many looks from different people.

I passed one table where a young boy of seven or eight smiled broadly towards me, saluting in my direction. His parents reprimanded him, but I winked once and saluted back, exciting the child immensely.

I passed another table that was occupied by three women that were around my age, and I caught the eye of a beautiful girl with a long, elegant face and flowing brown hair. She looked at me curiously, then blushed red as I walked by, accompanied by her friend's giggles. As I sat down, I winked at her, and she turned away quickly, blushing a deep color of red.

"That's the Mayor's daughter, Qin Lee," my mother whispered, smiling with a knowing expression.

I blushed slightly too.

"Mother, please. I'm just having a bit of fun."

* * *

It's funny, really. On that first day, everything seemed so… strange. For these people, life was normally progressing, a daily routine. Yet in my mind, I was a stranger. It had been but a few days since I was in Ba Sing Se, ducking from flying rocks, and now I was in a café, eating breakfast with my parents.

"A soldier can never truly adjust to civilian life," says Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe, in his memoir _Ice Within, Ice Without._

"You spend every day thinking of what you went through, and simply forgetting the events, while achievable, is extremely difficult."

* * *

As I ate with my parents and we talked about their daily lives, I would notice things that would instantly take me back to the Siege. A bird flying overhead, a passing Fire Navy ship, or the loud sound of a box being dropped would set me on edge. It was a miracle I didn't burn the place down out of nerves.

We spent the day walking around town, talking about each others' life. My father talked about the rising shipping costs and the lost fleets that he was struggling with, what with the Siege and the heightened Fire Navy patrols.

My mother talked about how she and some of the other mothers were working at the local healers, and helped to heal wounded soldiers who passed through the town.

I talked a little, and only recounted light stories, making sure to ignore the darker parts of my service as of yet. I talked about my, Liao, Hiro's escapades in Basic Training, the pranks we pulled on other squads, and the fun we had on the few times we were given leave to the nearby village.

I remember telling them the story of when Hiro, Liao and I went to the local tavern while on leave, and proceeded to get thoroughly intoxicated and steal a herd of sheep, much to the displeasure of Sergeant Takano.

Each story, they would laugh at, and I would smile knowingly, stowing away the inner darkness, fear, and regret that swirled around me.

* * *

By the time we returned home, it was getting dark, and I remembered my promise to Okada.

I quickly said goodbye to my parents and set off down the street, towards the tavern, when I passed girl I had winked at earlier. I almost passed her by, simply nodding, when I threw caution to the wind. I walked up to her and bowed, and she blushed slightly.

"Ma'am, I just wanted to apologize if I made you uncomfortable today in the restaurant. My social skills are less than satisfactory, I'm afraid."

She looked at me, smiling slyly, red splotches on her cheeks.

"Its okay, Qin Lee. I understand."

"You know my name?"

"We were in the same geography class back at the Academy."

I scrutinized her for a moment, then remembered the young girl who had sat several rows in front of me and had been silent the entire time.

"Ayako, right? That was a long time ago; I didn't recognize you. My apologies."

She smiled sweetly.

"That's okay. I know you have places to go, so I won't take any more of your time. I'll see you around, Qin Lee," she said, walking away.

I looked at her, slightly awestruck for a while, then cleared my head and walked down to the tavern. I walked in, and was instantly greeted by a chorus of greetings.

Okada walked up to me and shoved a cup of _Kasao_ (rice wine, for you non-Fire Nation folks) and introduced me to the others.

They were mostly Regulars, but there were a couple Firebenders in the group. Most of them were from the Third Army, which was fighting around Omashu under General Shu. One Firebender was from the famous Southern Raiders, and had just returned from a raid on the Southern Water Tribe, where Commander Yon Rha had supposedly killed the last Waterbender in the tribe.

Unbeknownst to me and him, he had unwittingly witnessed the beginning of the end for the Fire Nation, as the last waterbender he spoke of was none other than Kya, the mother of the famous Katara of the South, whose death spurred her daughter to help the Avatar take down the Fire Nation.

But of course we didn't know that, and we spent the night drinking, talking and toasting.

It had gotten very late, but a dizzy Okada stood from the table and lifted his glass.

"I… I propose a toast," he slurred.

"To General Iroh; may the siege come to a speedy conclusion."

We all lifted our glasses and cheered, drawing the eyes of a group of men on the far corner of the bar. One man looked angrily at us. We eyed the man suspiciously, taking note of a water tribe necklace that the man was wearing on his belt.

"Hey… is that guy wearing a _Water Tribe_ necklace? Isn't that traitorous?" asked one of the others, slowly.

Okada nodded, and he lurched to his feet noisily, pointing at the man.

"Hey… you," he shouted, stumbling forward.

"Take that necklace off… you… you _coward_."

The bar went silent, and the group of men eyed us with hatred, standing from their table. We lurched to our feet in preparation as the two groups eyed each other hatefully. Then, growling softly, Okada bended two jets of flames from each of his fists. Sensing that he was about to attack, I sprinted forward and held him back as he tried lunging forward.

"You bastards are living the high life in the homeland, wearing enemy _trinkets_, while GOOD MEN DIE IN THE EARTH KINGDOM!" he bellowed, feebly trying to attack the men, who left quickly.

"OUR COMRADES ARE DYING, YOU_ COWARDS_! AND YOU REPAY THEM BY SHAMING THEIR MEMORY. NONE OF YOU _PEASANTS_ ARE GRATEFUL FOR WHAT WE SACRIFICED, ARE YOU?!" he bellowed.

The bartender glared at us, pointing towards the door. I propped Okada up, holding his shoulder, and I waved towards the others, said goodbye, and set a handful of silver pieces on the counter, apologizing silently to the bartender.

We lurched out of the tavern and stumbled down the street towards Okada's house. Okada was quietly mumbling words to himself drowsily as I helped him down the street.

Then, he was silent.

"Six years. Six… damn years I've been fighting in this damn war. And for what? A pair of Sergeant Chevrons and a bigger pay? I've seen things, Qin Lee. I've seen our troop's massacre villages and burn them to the ground. I've seen Regulars line Earth Kingdom prisoners along a ditch and execute them all without a second glance. I've seen officers order the execution of innocent women and children. Six years, Qin Lee. You see things."

I eventually got him back to his house, where he collapsed in his bed and lay there silently, staring up at the ceiling. His words had gotten to me however; of course, I had heard the rumors of Fire Nation crimes, but Okada, my officer, validated them. And it scared me.

* * *

General Iroh once told me that "War is like an open flame; it can get bigger and hotter, but in the end, everything is in ashes."

I believed it when he told me, and I believe it to this day.

* * *

I spent the next few days in Varron, simply resting and recuperating. I spent much of my time catching up with my parents, my old friends, and getting to know Ayako much better.

We spent a lot of time walking through the city, basking in the warm summer sunlight and enjoying the smell, sounds, and fresh air of the port city. We would talk of many things; I told her stories from Basic Training and Ba Sing Se, which she would listen to attentively, and she would tell me stories about her schooling in the Royal Fire Academy for Girls in the capital.

On the last day of the first week, as I made my preparations to travel, I asked Ayako a favor.

"Ayako," I told her.

"I've spent the last week getting to know you quite well, and I was wondering if there was any way I could write to you from the front. I like you a lot, Ayako, and it would comfort me greatly if you'd grant this favor to me."

She smiled.

"I'd be honored, Qin Lee. I want you to have this."

She reached into her jacket and pulled out an exquisite golden watch with the national insignia carved in with intricate, waving designs. I tried to give it back, but she stubbornly refused to take it back.

"Keep it. I want you to have it."

Then, she kissed me on the lips and walked out, glancing over her shoulder at me as she walked down the street.

I stood on the front steps in a sort of shock; until I heard my parents walk up behind me, and I quickly stuffed the watch into my pocket.

"Are you sure you have to leave so early? Why don't you stay a little while longer?" my mother asked, a look of concern plastered on her face.

"I'm sure. I owe it to Hiro and Liao to tell their families personally. I need this, mom."

They both hugged me tightly, and my mother began crying softly.

"Take care of yourself, son," my father whispered. "May you bring great honor to our family name."

I broke away gently and bowed deeply, shouldering my pack, and smiling. My parents smiled back sadly as I turned and walked towards the pier, where a large transport ship waited. I walked down the street for a few blocks when I saw Okada. I changed direction and walked towards him; he noticed me and smiled, waving.

He took note of my bag and clothes.

"Leaving already?"

"I need to talk to Hiro and Liao's parents. I… I just need to tell them what their sons meant to me."

Okada nodded knowingly, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"You're a good man, Qin Lee. I wish you the greatest of luck. I'll see you back there soon, Corporal."

We grinned at each other and saluted smartly, and we went on our separate ways.

* * *

During the time I spent in Varron, several important things occurred in the world that you, the reader, should take note of:

"_The First Army around Ba Sing Se, during the waning days of the year 94 AG, saw several major setbacks, many of which were directly a result of the logistical error on the part of General Iroh that saw many hardened veteran Firebender regiments be given a two week furlough, which was taken advantage of immediately by the vaunted Dai Li organization. _

_Dai Li undercover agents in the Fire Nation army pulled off a chain of disastrous sabotage attacks that crippled, delayed, and severely damaged many artillery pieces on the Western Front. Several entire companies of trebuchets were rendered inoperable due to severe damage caused by the premature detonation of blasting jelly. _

_It was in the wake of this chain of attacks that the Earth Kingdom's Fifth Legion launched a concentrated assault all throughout the Western front, breaking in several areas. Attempts were made to recall the veteran 34__th__, 26__th__, and 122__nd__ Firebender Regiments, but the sudden appearance of a pack of hostile sea serpents (thought to have been lured there by Earth Kingdom operatives) blockaded Camp Teshima and several other instrumental staging points, preventing the hardened regiments from being mustered. _

_Land runners did manage, however, to reach General Shu's Third Army, which was stationed around Omashu. Given that the Third was primarily engaged in intercepting convoys, due to the inaccessibility of the city itself, General Shu saw no hesitation in redeploying a large portion of his army towards Ba Sing Se. Unfortunately, the expedition was forced to traverse the treacherous Great Central Desert in order to reach Chameleon Bay, the closest Fire Nation staging point the expedition could reach. _

_Notably including a young Lieutenant by the name of Zhao, who disappeared briefly with a squad into Wan Shi Tong's Library, the expedition reinforced the embattled First Army and was instrumental in once again pushing the Earth Kingdom forces back into the city. Ironically, this resurgence, primarily due to the great mobility that the Third Army expedition showed and the resilience and cunning of Commander Yoshiro (who was filling in for General Iroh, who had returned briefly to the Capital), came only a day before the veteran Regiments were scheduled to return."_

_-Tamura, "A Complete History of the World, Volume 3, page 102_

* * *

To put things in perspective, I've pieced together dates as best I could.

I joined the army in the latter stages of 93 AG after graduating from Varron Academy. I had a brief two week waiting period, then I was sent to the Earth Kingdom where I entered Basic Training for three months. Then, in the summer of 94 AG, I and my friends were deployed to Ba Sing Se, where I spent much of that year in nonstop combat. Then, in the winter of 94 AG, my regiment was relieved, and we were given a two week furlough in the days leading up to the New Year. The year 95 AG was imminently looming over us. Little did we know that that year would spell certain doom for the First Army and begin the downward spiral of the Fire Nation's power.

* * *

**And that completes chapter 7 of our epic journey. I know some of you guys probably like the military explosion stuff better, but I really wanted to do as much as I could to put a face on the faceless enemy that we see in the show. I promise that this feelsey stuff will only last another few chapters at most. Rest assured, there will be much more sparky sparky boom boom scenes than lovey dovey ones (sorry, I'm tired.)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**IGdude117**


	8. Chapter 8: Remember the Fallen

Late Winter 94 AG- The Island of Hakka

The dirt road stretched in front of me as the long, water-filled rice paddies of the village of Kusu stretched into the distance. It had taken me a day of traveling and asking locals to find the place, but I had located it. It was a small hut, nestled in the corner of a small rice paddy, and as I walked towards it, I noticed lots of brief glances from passing pedestrians who eyed my black and red fatigues and my corporal's insignia with curiosity.

I arrived at the hut and paused a moment, shouldering my pack as I briefly massaged my aching legs; I had been walking for quite some time, as the village was far inland.

An older woman glanced out the door, and, looking over my uniform, took on a saddened look and walked outside, drying her hands on her apron.

"Who are you and what do you want?" she asked gruffly.

I took a deep breath, pushing the urge to tear up aside, and spoke.

"My name is Corporal Qin Lee and I was a friend of your son's. We went through basic training together, and I just wanted to let you know that Liao was a very close friend of mine."

Her face was startled, and she wiped away a tear as she beckoned me towards the house.

"Come inside, Corporal."

The house was rustic in nature, but was furnished relatively well. There was an old table in the center of the living room, with a roaring fireplace in the corner, and a separate wing of the house where I could see a bed and cupboards.

The woman set out a pot of tea with two glasses and began speaking as she poured the two cups.

"How did you know Liao?"

"I met him in Basic Training. We were in the same squad, and we became close friends throughout training. Your son was a brave man; he died for his country."

She nodded silently, sipping her tea.

"When they gave me his belongings, I didn't know quite how to react. He had a brother that died in a storm when he was twelve and his father died when he turned sixteen. When they gave me his urn and his personal belongings, it took a while for his death to sink in. Then… it hit me later."

She looked up, her eyes bloodshot and a sad expression on her face.

"Tell me; did his death matter? Did my son die for the Fire Nation?"

I sipped at the tea quietly.

"Your son died for his country, miss. He died in glorious battle against the villainous enemy and took a position that allowed our forces to begin the siege of Ba Sing Se."

She drank deeply from the glass, nodding. Then, she got up, opened a cabinet, and set a bottle of _Kasao_ on the table.

"You want a drink, Corporal?"

I shook my head politely, and she shrugged slightly, and poured herself a glass of the drink.

There was a long silence, then I threw caution to the wind and poured myself a glass, gulping down the firey liquid greedily.

"Tell me about Liao."

She sighed, setting her glass of _Kasao_ back down.

"He was always a kind boy. When he was born, we had no way of knowing that he had _the gift_. Out here in the country, we don't have fire sages that tell us if our children have been blessed with bending. He was a funny child, though, and he worked very well with his brother and father in the fields. At school, he was a fine pupil, and was, according to some of the others in this village, a loyal and brave kid. As much as he enjoyed working in the fields and helping this family, however, he yearned in his heart for adventure. So when he turned eighteen, he said his goodbyes and joined the Fire Nation Army after a recruiter came through the village."

I nodded, taking another glass, and we spent the rest of the night talking about Liao, life, and the war, drinking all the while. By the time I was thoroughly drunk, I noticed that it was dark outside, and Liao's mother gave me Liao's old room.

* * *

I staggered in, and was surprised to see that it resembled my own. On the wall were tattered posters and paintings, and he had a small wooden desk that supported a small stack of books that were worn and well-used.

As I collapsed into Liao's bed, I reflected on him, and I agreed with what his mother had said earlier; Liao was simply a nice young man who was caught up in things he should have never been involved in.

I woke up early and I quickly packed my things in my rucksack and left Liao's room. In the kitchen, Liao's mother stood, finishing a collection of rice dumplings that she put in a small wooden box and handed it to me.

"Thank you, Corporal, for coming here. It… it helps knowing that he had people that loved him. I thank you for your kindness, and I wish you well."

She bowed, which I reciprocated.

"Liao was a good man. I promise to you that his death won't be in vain; we'll win this thing."

She nodded, and I walked out of the house, and she followed me to the door.

"Corporal," she whispered, putting her hand on the door.

I stopped, looking back at her questioningly.

"Make sure those bastards pay. Burn their city to the ground," she said, a menacing look on her wizened, wrinkled face.

I saluted smartly, anger burning in my gut.

"You have my word."

* * *

I spent the next few days making my way to the Capital city, but my passage was not as swift as it had been previously. Unbeknownst to me, a massive armada was being prepared to attack Ba Sing Se from the north, and heightened threats of infiltrated Earth Kingdom soldiers resulted in stringent patrols and checks.

* * *

By the time my boat docked at the Fire Nation Capital, there were only three days before I had to return to Camp Teshima. As I stepped off the boat, gazing up at the towering dormant volcano that housed the Capital's Inner City, I was surprised to see the familiar face of General Iroh and Prince Lu Ten stepping waiting near a shop. Lu Ten caught my eye and approached me with a large smile, saluting.

"Corporal Lee; long time no see."

"Yes, sir," I replied, saluting.

He waved my salute away.

"Please, Corporal. We're on leave; you don't need to salute."

"Yes, sir."

Lu Ten grinned and walked over to his father who smiled at the two of us.

"Father, this is a soldier from the Thirteenth Company I was telling you about."

The General studied my face and I idly wondered if he remembered giving me my position all those months ago during graduation.

"Ahh, yes-I remember. You're the man I recommended to Colonel Oda."

"Yes, sir. I didn't think you'd remember, sir."

Iroh chuckled.

"I rarely forget a face, Corporal. And you're the only one I recommended to Colonel Oda, who, by the way, agreed to put you on a list of possible recruits. Tell me, Corporal; what brings you to the Capital?"

"I wanted to see General Mak, sir. I- I was a friend of his son's."

Iroh's expression went serious, and he nodded.

"A worthy quest, to be sure. General Mak usually only accepts appointments, especially when he's on leave, but as luck would have it, my son and I are passing the same way. Come with us, and I'll make sure to get you into Mak's estate."

* * *

A Royal Palanquin arrived soon, and I reluctantly joined the Crown Prince and his son. Although I grew up in relative wealth, I still saw the Royal Family and the life of nobles as being an unattainable, rich lifestyle that only the best of the best could become a part of. It was surreal, really, riding in a Royal Palanquin alongside the Dragon of the West and my commanding officer.

"Tell me, Corporal; how do you think the siege is going so far?" Iroh asked at length.

"Well, sir, it seems to be going quite well."

"You don't need to sugarcoat things, Corporal Lee. Tell the truth."

I hesitated, the doctrines of the Fire Nation coming to mind.

"Well, sir… it seems that the wall simply won't break. The Artillery corps are taking a toll on the wall's integrity, but the Earthbenders repair the wall with dirt and rock as fast as we can tear it down. I've been on patrols to the wall several times, General, and I see how they do it; at night, they just bend the rock to fill the gaps. We're losing too many men as it is. "

Iroh nodded thoughtfully, and Lu Ten stared blankly out the window, silent.

"How do you think we should penetrate the wall, then, Corporal? The Artillery Corps are the only things we have."

"I don't know, sir. All I know is that we need to get into the walls before the First Army is wiped out."

The General nodded thoughtfully, and as the palanquin continued up the hill, the conversation went silent as all its occupants descended into deep thought and reflection.

After a while, we entered the streets of the Capital, and I peeked out of the palanquin in amazement. I had seen pictures of the Capital City before, naturally, but it was still amazing. The walls of the volcano stretched far above us, and great swathes of the city were plunged into darkness by the jagged edges of the crater. Rows and rows of towering buildings and rich-looking mansions spread out, and people dressed in elegant dresses, military uniforms, and nobleman robes walked the streets, going about their daily lives.

Far in the center, the jet-black spire of the Royal Palace jutted out from a circle of dead ground, where swarms of people, soldiers, and servants milled around.

"General Mak's mansion is coming up here. I'll join you; I've been meaning to talk with the good General."

* * *

We stopped by a squat, rich-looking mansion where a few firebenders stood guard. They perked up as the palanquin stopped by, and the bowed deeply as the General exited the palanquin, followed by me.

"Prince Iroh," one of the Firebenders said.

"We were not expecting your presence. What may I do for you, sir?"

"My compatriot and I were hoping to speak to the General. Would we be able to do so?"

The man hesitated.

"General Mak ordered us to turn away all visitors, but I can double check, sir."

He gestured for one of his fellow guards to go check, and the man returned after several minutes of terse silence.

"General Mak would be pleased to receive you and your friend, General Iroh," the guard said.

We were ushered into the house, where the General and his beautiful wife were waiting. General Mak was renowned throughout the Fire Nation as the youngest man to become a general in Fire Nation history. He had led his regiment skillfully throughout the Western Earth Kingdom Campaign, and he had been given his Generalship at the young age of thirty eight; an age never thought possible.

"Prince Iroh, you honor me with your presence. What may we do for you?"

Iroh gestured for the man to stand wearily.

"General, please. You are too qualified a man to bow to one such as myself. My friend here desired an audience with you, and I wished to join him so that I could offer you my condolences about your son. I believe this young man has a similar purpose, but I'll leave him to it."

Iroh saluted to the general, and walked out of the house, nodding towards me, leaving me in the living room with General Mak and his wife. The General gestured towards a nearby chair, and he and his wife sat down.

"Tell me, Corporal; what business do you have, coming here?" he asked, his voice grim.

I began sweating in embarrassment as he and his wife studied me.

"Sir and ma'am, I just wanted to offer you my deepest condolences for your son's death."

Mak arched his eyebrow, leaning back in his chair.

"I met your son in Basic Training and served with him for the months leading up to the Siege of Ba Sing Se. Your son was a close friend of mine, and I miss him every day. In training, he and I were the most skilled firebenders in our class, and I respected him greatly. He was the bravest, most loyal man I've ever known, and I just wanted to let you know that he died in battle, serving his country, and he would have wanted it that way."

I took a deep breath afterwards; it had felt good to let that out. It had been forming in my mind for quite some time, and saying it out loud felt good.

The couple was silent, and Mak's wife rubbed her eyes, struggling with tears. Mak's hard expression softened into one of sorrow, and he touched his wife's shoulder gently.

"Thank you, Corporal, for coming here; I appreciate your coming all the way over here to tell us this."

"I have these two letters, also, General," I said, holding the two envelopes towards the General.

He took them gently, and stood, saluting stiffly. I saluted back, and he nodded respectfully.

"Thank you, Corporal. It comforts me to know that he had trusted comrades when he fell."

With that, he dismissed me, and I left the mansion, bought a carriage, and rode back to the docks where I promptly boarded a Fire Navy ship and began my journey with great reluctance back to the Front.

* * *

In his memoir, Councilman Sokka had this to say about his experiences in the War.

"_Although I have no claim to being a hardened warrior who has fought in scores of engagements, as my father, some of the men I fought alongside, and countless others I've come across, I can contribute a little about the effect war has on us. _

_On the Day of Black Sun, I was as ready as anyone could be. I was prepared, in my mind, to potentially face the Firelord himself, and lead the world into a new era of peace alongside my trusted friends and allies; we had assembled a potent force with which we hoped to do the impossible; defeat the Fire Nation on its own turf. However, I was also ready to do the opposite; nervous as I was, I always confronted the possibility that I would fall in battle. _

_On our way to the staging point of the invasion, all I could think about, even as my sister went on her escapades with Fire Nation villagers and as, as I called him, Sparky Sparky Boom Man (I was never adept in my naming skills) hunted us—thanks, Zuko—I could think of little else but the possibility of my death. _

_Of course, when the entire invasion landed flat like a pile of Tiger-Boar stool, my fears were realized, and I was forced to abandon my army to the mercies of the Fire Nation. _

_A lot of people suffered during their internment, and I blame myself for that failure every time. Of course, it was but a temporary setback to the eventual victory, but nevertheless, my failure there and the things I witnessed will stay with me to my dying day."_

-From _My Life and Stuff_, page 321.

* * *

It was interesting, actually, that the Fire Lord invited me and my family to the Palace the other night for dinner. We were honored to accept, of course, but I was admittedly confused about the reason for this. He explained it when we arrived that night.

"For some reason, my interview with you directly after the war has stuck with me for quite some time. I've thought on it for quite a while, and I remember now why I found that so interesting. Of all the men I interviewed, you were one of only a few that directly took responsibility for your actions. Many of your comrades begged for mercy or defied me openly and swore their allegiance to my father. You were one of a few that apologized for your action in a way that I could tell was earnest. You've also been present at some of the most interesting events in our history."

During that dinner, my wife and I talked with the Firelord and his wife extensively as Princess Iria and our daughter talked on their own. The same way I always admired the Firelord, my wife similarly admired the Fire Lady. After all, both had been fighters in some manner, and together, we all talked about the old days.

Afterwards, I told the Firelord about this memoir, and he expressed his support for my endeavor.

"The most valuable wisdom we can pass on to our children is that of experience," he told me. "We need to know about all sides of that war, not just the ones that my friends published. We need to know what it was like for the soldiers, the people in that war, and I hope that your memoir will help galvanize that movement."

In his study we then compared the many times our paths intersected, whether we were conscious of them at the time or not, and reminisced about the war.

As I write this, it has been about a month since the Firelord hosted us for dinner, and I consider both him and his wife friends, as does my wife. Our daughters often meet together and enjoy the city, and my wife and I have even hosted the Firelord and Firelady at our home several times.

It's funny how things work out.

* * *

**It is funny indeed. **

**That's it for Chapter 8; next chapter, we once again dive into the dangerous world of combat. **

**As usual, thanks for reading and please take a second to add a review; the feedback helps. **

**Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me for this story.**

**-IGdude117**


	9. Chapter 9:All Quiet on the Western Front

94 AG- One Week before the New Year, Camp Teshima.

What I noticed first upon setting foot on Earth Kingdom territory was the aftermath; me, along with a host of other returning soldiers were surprised to see that Camp Teshima had been turned into a maze of earthen fortifications, metal barricades, trenches, and pockmarked ground. There was widespread muttering amongst the returning veterans, and I stopped an Infantryman who was standing guard over the docks.

"What happened here?"

"Oh, you're from one of the veteran regiments. When you guys were gone, the Dirties launched a counteroffensive across the whole front. Pushed us back to here. Luckily, some Third Army guys arrived to reinforce us and we managed to push them back in."

I walked away in shock; in two weeks, the Dirties had pushed us back to Camp Teshima? How? Was it because we were gone? Why didn't they recall us? Questions swirled through my mind as I walked to the familiar form of Fujiko.

"Fujiko!"

"Qin Lee- It's good to see you. Do you know where Okada is?"

"No; I thought you would know, Corporal," I said, punching her playfully on the shoulder with a wry grin.

She laughed.

"I should say the same to you, Corporal Lee."

We were interrupted by the appearance of Captain Jirou, whose face was contorted into one of sadness.

"Corporal Fujiko, Corporal Lee, I have some bad news."

"What is it, sir?"

Jirou, who for the first time did not have a pipe hanging from his mouth, looked grim.

"Sergeant Okada committed suicide. You're the commanding officer of this squad now, Fujiko."

There was a moment of silence as the truth sunk in, and I simply stood there in a shock, feeling numb.

"He… committed suicide, sir?" I asked tentatively, a deep feeling of grief rising from my gut.

"I'm sorry, Corporal. You'll have to make it without Okada; I'll make sure to give more reinforcements as I get them, but we're moving out soon, so suit up."

He clasped my shoulder, grimacing slightly, and walked away to talk to some of the other sergeants, leaving Fujiko and I dumbfounded.

* * *

In an interview after the war, Captain Jirou spoke highly of his former comrade.

"_Sergeant Okada was one of the bravest men I ever knew. Like his predecessor, Sergeant Hikaru, Okada was a seasoned veteran that served this Nation and the Company with the greatest level of obedience, loyalty, and courage that I've ever seen. We had been through hell together, and as much as I trusted Hikaru, it was comforting to know that his second in command was a solid, good soldier that I could always trust. _

_We did terrible things, however. I've served my sentence for my crimes already, but we did horrifying things. We razed villages to the ground. We massacred prisoners, and we looted homes. These were all things that our officers condoned, of course, but I always felt a measure of guilt about this, and apparently he did too. _

_War does things to a man. For Okada, he kept his inner turmoil bottled up inside, and he suffered for it. Believe me when not a single man in the Company thought any less of Okada for it. In the funeral, in fact, it was listed on the official report that he was "Killed in Action", so as to spare his memory the shame that is traditionally carried with the act of suicide."_

* * *

The war, however, came first, and we were forced to put aside our shock at Okada's death and rendezvous with the rest of our squad. We walked into the tent, still in shock, and training took over as we saw our fellow squadmates strapping on their armor.

Sakai nodded towards us.

"Corporal Lee, Corporal Fujiko; good to see you. Where's the Sarge?"

Fujiko stiffened slightly.

"Sergeant Okada won't be joining us; I'm in command. We're to suit up and return to the trenches as soon as possible, where we'll be briefed by Captain Jirou."

The several new recruits nodded nervously, and a few of the older hands simply continued donning their armor. Outside, the sound of marching feet and the all-too familiar clanking sound of trebuchets releasing their payloads echoed through the camp, and we were soon in our full armor.

We joined the rest of the regiment as we marched through the serpent's pass. Interestingly, I noticed for the first time that there was an armada of ships on either side of the pass, firing trebuchets of their own.

I hurried to the side of a guy in Fourth squad who I knew a little and asked him about it.

"It's Admiral Chan's Eastern Fleet. Apparently when we were gone the serpents that gave this pass its name returned and wreaked havoc on our shipping lanes; that's why we weren't recalled."

As we crested the hill, the familiar walls of Ba Sing Se appeared in the distance, obscured by flurries of snow. The weather was quite cold, in fact, and due to the rapidity of our deployment, many of the men were in summer uniforms, with little protection from the biting cold.

* * *

As we marched towards the distant trenches, we were startled to see men all over burying piles of bodies in both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom uniforms. Earth Kingdom prisoners were busy digging pyres under the watchful eyes of Infantrymen, and piles of bloodied, ragged bodies lay strewn around in all directions.

The ground was also pockmarked, and my trained eye could tell that the area had been bombarded with heavy Earth Kingdom assaults. Everywhere we looked, in fact, the remnants of battle lay strewn about.

Spears, swords, and burned out carriages lay in piles through the white-gray wasteland, and small camps of ragged soldiers were scattered throughout the massive plains just outside of the Serpent's Pass.

"I didn't know it was this bad," I whispered to Fujiko, sliding my visor off.

Her helmet bobbed slightly.

"I had heard about the counteroffensive, but it looks like they did a number on us."

We continued walking until we were stopped by a man with Lieutenant's bars and a company of firebenders.

"Where are _you_ men headed," the man said, a slight sneer on his face.

"To our old positions to the West, Lieutenant," said Fujiko.

The man glared at us cruelly, his brow furrowing in disgust.

"You must be from the 122nd Regiment. Looks like you _fools_ came too late; you abandoned your comrades here to relax in homeland, and look how far the enemy got. You cowards disgust me."

Colonel Lu Ten walked up and glared at the Lieutenant.

"Are you finished antagonizing my men, Lieutenant Zhao? Or would you like to hold my most valuable company back from the primary defensive line? Perhaps you'd like to explain to Colonel Duan why his artillery companies are vulnerable to attack."

The man sneered briefly, bowing in an exaggerated manner.

"My apologies, _your highness_. I was merely expressing to your men the level of regard I hold for the famed 122nd Regiment, Colonel. My apologies, _sir._"

Lu Ten glared at the man, and waved the column forward once more. As we walked past, Lieutenant Zhao looked at us with a mixture of unbridled arrogance and disdain.

"Get a load of that guy, huh?" Sakai said after we had walked a sufficient distance away.

"Arrogant entitled nobleman. People like him have no respect for anything or anyone," Fujiko said.

* * *

As we neared the trench line, the concussive _crack_ of Earth Kingdom counter fire intermixed with the clang of releasing trebuchets in a deafening cacophony. We walked a while longer, then the Colonel waved us into the trenches and men began jumping down into the deep trenches, being welcomed jovially by dirty looking Regulars.

We wound our way through the trench until we reached the front most lines, and our squad made its way into a metal bunker, setting our packs and equipment down with relief. I set my pack down gratefully, and looked around at the dingy bunker. Where the metal had once been flawless and shiny, it was now worn and dented in many places. The ceiling sagged worryingly, and bloodstains covered the floor.

Fujiko set her helmet on the floor and gestured for me to do the same and we left the small bunker, emerging into the trench, ducking past running infantrymen who sprinted down the length of the trench, spears at the ready.

"We're gonna go see the Captain for our briefing, then we can go back to the bunker."

We hugged the wall slightly as a shower of rock and pebbles cascaded onto us as an enemy rock careened into the ground nearby.

We walked in silence for a while, ducking past running soldiers and saying the occasional greeting to sentries who we knew.

"How was your furlough?" I asked after a while.

She glanced back at me with a bemused expression.

"It was fine; I met up with my uncle in Yu Dao. I spent my entire furlough with him and my cousins. It was fun. You?"

"The same; I visited my family in Varron. I paid my respects to Liao's and Hiro's families. I suppose I should do the same for Oka—"

She cut me off abruptly.

"We're here."

We ducked into a bunker that had a rickety sign saying "Thirteenth Company HQ" and entered a relatively spacious bunker. In the corner, a small fire roared in a tiny fire pit, and a large table strewn with maps and equipment sat against a wall, next to a small bunk bed. Captain Jirou, once again with a pipe in the corner of his mouth, glanced upward.

"Corporal Fujiko, Corporal Lee. The Prince issued our orders for this tour and gave me some heads up. Of course, by now you've heard that the Earth Kingdom launched a counteroffensive while we were away and pushed the Fire Nation back to Camp Teshima. Luckily, an expedition from the Third Army under a General Shu relieved the pressure on the Camp and helped us push the Dirties back inside the walls.

As of now, we're one of a few active regiments manning the western lines. Our progress in penetrating the walls has been the most successful here, so we're concentrating our artillery on this front. The good news is we're due to get massive reinforcements and General Iroh himself is going to be moving the headquarters to this front. Unfortunately for us, we need to hold this position for two weeks while we wait for reinforcements to arrive."

We nodded grimly. The news sounded dim, and both Fujiko and I could tell that the fight ahead would be tough.

"Thirteenth Company is situated in the direct middle of the 122nd's stretch of trenches. We've got the Twelfth on our left flank and the Third on our right, so any frontal attacks that come our way are coming straight for us. I'm going to have to ask for near nightly wall patrols, so expect a few of those coming up. I know Third Squad has done a lot of those in our last tour, so I'll try distributing the job amongst the other squads as best as I can, but you'll have to do more than a few regardless."

We both grimaced at that point; Wall patrols were dangerous endeavors where we left the trenches at night and inspected the spot where the artillery was aiming to see what kind of damage was being sustained. Usually, a damage assessment could be made with a spyglass, but more often than not, patrols were needed to get a detailed assessment of the day's damage.

"Third Squad is one of the most under strength right now, so don't expect too much. But you guys are some of the best, and I'll be counting on you two to keep your squad in top notch condition. Corporal Fujiko, you'll be receiving your promotion in the next few days. Both of you keep up the good work. Dismissed."

We turned to go, but Jirou called my name. Fujiko paused for a moment, but I gestured for her to return to the bunker, and I saluted crisply and stood at attention. The Captain sighed deeply, breathing out another cloud of smoke, and he leaned back in his rickety chair.

"You're aware that your name is being considered for acceptance into the Imperial Firebenders? Colonel Oda inquired about you the other day."

"What did you tell him, sir?"

"I told him that you are a skilled firebender and a more than capable soldier, and that I'd assuredly recommend you for promotion into the Imperial Firebenders. Colonel Oda concurred, and we've reached an agreement; when the siege is complete, if it is at all, you'll be transferred from the Thirteenth into the Imperial Firebending Academy for advanced training."

He fell silent, and a dull feeling of shock, surprise, and glee rushed through me.

"Th… thank you, sir. I'd be honored to accept Colonel Oda's invitation, sir. Thank you."

Jirou nodded, and turned back towards his maps.

"Dismissed, Corporal."

* * *

I stumbled down the trench in a daze, shocked and confused. The fallout from Okada's death was still pulling me down, but my acceptance into the Imperial Firebenders did not, as I expected it to, lift me up. To the contrary, it filled me with a sense of confusion and conflict. Being accepted was great of course, but it would mean that I would never see Fujiko, Sakai, or any of the others ever again.

"What'd the Colonel want?" asked Shen, a replacement that had joined us close to the end of our first tour.

"I've been accepted into the Imperial Firebenders."

There was, I remember, a sort of shocked silence that settled on the bunker. All the soldiers who were lying on packs, sharpening weapons, or playing _Zhanshi_in the corner stopped and looked at me in awe.

"_The _Imperial Firebenders?" asked Gyeong, another replacement, a tint of respect in his voice.

I nodded quietly and sat next to Fujiko. Gradually, the stares of astonishment went away, but several men's stares lingered. The Imperial Firebenders were, of course, infamous.

* * *

"_The Imperial Firebenders were formed in the year127 BG by Firelord Kyozu in response to the rising number of assassination attempts during his time. Fire Nation citizens during the Hisao Revival were increasingly radical and many citizens of the period desired a permanent end to the institution of Fire Lord. In response to anarchist revolt throughout the nation and the advent of the assassin group known as "Yuon Te", the Imperial Firebenders, originally known as the "Royal Guard", served as a personal guard to the Firelord, as well as a private military of sorts. _

_Between 127 BG and 51 BG, the Imperial Firebenders defended the palace against several armed mobs during the Revolution of 112 BG and the People's Revolt of 98 BG. It was, however, in 58 BG, when Firelord Sozin took the throne, that the Royal Guard was rechristened as the "Imperial Firebenders", and was instrumental in infiltrating the Earth Kingdom city of Huangai and taking the Fire Nation's first colony. Ironically, however, Sozin's use of the Imperial Firebenders as a military organization proved to be a dangerous move, as the entirety of the Imperial Firebenders were away on a mission when Avatar Roku confronted Sozin, and resulted in the destruction of the palace and the near- assassination of Sozin. _

_Sozin, however, spent the years between 51 BG and 0 AG transforming the Imperial Firebenders into a potent force, as he chose only the most skilled and the best firebenders from the steadily growing Fire Nation Army to fill the ranks. It was during this time that the modern two tier structure of the Imperial Firebenders was established; The Imperial Firebenders are organized into two companies of one hundred men, and the total number of Imperial Firebenders never exceeds 200. Sozin, remembering the vulnerability of his palace but also knowing the military benefit of the Imperial Firebenders, organized the outfit into two companies; the First Company, known as "the Firelord's Fist" was used for tactical uses and military maneuvers; "The Fire Lord's Fist" consisted of an even mix of seasoned veterans and untested but skilled protégés. The Second Company, affectionately known as "The Royal Guard" served as a house guard of sorts, guarding individual members of the Fire Nation Royal Family wherever they went and the palace itself. _

_Through a combination of elite soldiers and a distinguished battle record during the Hundred Years' War, the Imperial Firebenders were and are to this day considered by many to be the largest concentration of Firebending masters in the Fire Nation military, and garners both respect and fear from citizens of both the Fire Nation and the world."_

_-"A History of the Fire Nation", Professor Satoru, Fire Nation Royal Academy, page 215, volume II. _

A curious fact about Imperial Firebenders is that each recruit, upon joining the organization, must survive a sparring match with the infamous Colonel Oda, who was known during the War for having 'accidentally' killed several recruits in sparring matches and severely injured several more. Oda was known as being a cold, ruthlessly loyal man who dedicated his life and the lives of his men to the protection of the Royal Family.

"They say he personally slaughtered an entire city," whispered the rumors.

"I heard that he can breathe fire and fly,"

"I heard that he executed twenty Fire Nation soldiers because they tried to retreat."

Anyways, any recruits who manage to live through Oda's sparring match are given the distinction of getting the Imperial Tattoo; a stylized, ornate version of the National Emblem with soaring eagle's wings spreading from the sides. The guys in the Imperial Firebenders called it "The Warrior's Mark", and simply being seen with that tattoo on your forearm immediately garners a lot of respect.

* * *

That night, as I stood on the trench parapet, looking over the wall towards the distant city, where the dim, orange flashes of artillery impacting exploded ferociously. To my left, a faint scraping noise could be heard, and I glanced over, nodding my helmet as Fujiko clambered out of the bunker. She climbed the short ladder and ascended to the parapet, noticing the locket that Ayako had given me.

She leaned against the trench wall idly, glancing back at a squad of Regulars jogging down the interior of the trench towards the left flank. She sighed heavily, and I slid off my visor, staring blankly towards Ba Sing Se.

"I had to get out of the bunker. Sorry."

I shrugged. The company helped. Usually, it was just me. Sometimes I'd go talk to sentries from the other squads, but most of the time it was just staring out into No Man's Land for any sign of movement and staring at the distant conflagration.

"Can you believe it's been almost a year? A year since we were in this shallow trench, looking out at the city?" She asked, leaning against the trench wall.

I shook my head in disbelief.

"So much has changed."

There was a long silence as the distant concussive blasts of missiles chipping away at the Wall echoed through No Man's Land.

"Why did he do it? Okada, I mean?"

I sighed, rubbing my eyes in exhaustion. That, of course, had been what I was thinking about for the entire day.

"When I was back home, Okada and I got drunk. He almost got into a fight with some guy wearing a Water Tribe pendant, and then he told me that he was haunted by the things he had done. I guess the prospect of going back and doing more just… bothered him too much."

She nodded, thinking quietly.

"Do you blame him?"

"No. He's been fighting this war for most of his life. He deserved a long rest."

She nodded.

"When are you joining the Imperial Firebenders?"

"If we ever win this siege, and I live through it, when we rotate back to the homeland."

She nodded once again slowly, gazing into the barren wastes between the trenches and the Walls.

"You're a good man, Qin Lee. I hope you do well."

Then, she kissed me on the cheek, and turned to walk back into the bunker.

"Sorry. I've wanted to do that for a while."

* * *

The Siege dragged on for what seemed like ages. The New Year came and went, and the year 95 AG came without fanfare or expectation. For us, it was business as usual. Battle after countless battle was fought as the enemy sought to disable the artillery that was slowly but surely chipping away at their massive walls. Each time, when the screaming hordes of peasants and soldiers would emit from some unknown door, we would be there, defying the enemy and spitting fire in their direction.

Many were lost. Each time the Earth Kingdom attacked, scores of men would go down with them. Rock spikes would impale Regulars to the trench wall, and boulders would crush firebenders and cavalry whole. Our once clean uniforms and armor slowly degraded over time, and as the winter got colder and colder, our armor became smeared in blood, dirt, and sported scores of scratches and grooves.

General Iroh came to our side, and he came by our section of the trench several times to see his son again, and each time he would nod to me respectfully, waving away my bow. It was because of the respect afforded to me by both Colonel Lu Ten and General Iroh that I came to have a reputation of sorts. I remember that people told stories about me; most were exaggerated beyond belief and reason, but they were entertaining.

They called me "The Crimson Dragon," for some reason. As cheesy as it was, it was interesting to hear the legends that resulted from my familiarity with the Dragon of the West, as well as my acceptance into the Imperial Firebenders.

"I heard that he single-handedly took out an entire regiment of Earthbenders…"

Actually, it was me and two other squads that did that, and we had artillery support as well as strong trenches; I don't know where they got the single-handed stuff, as I have nowhere near that amount of skill.

"I heard that he broke through the Wall on his own and killed the enemy general… just for the bragging rights."

Number one, if I actually pulled that one off, I _would_ be bragging about it (which I did not). Number two, If _I_ had broken through the wall, then why wasn't the entire Army inside the walls?

"I heard that he defeated Iroh in an Agni Kai…"

Well, if I had defeated Iroh in an Agni Kai, chances would be that neither of us would be at the front.

These rumors continued, however, unabated. Yet my reputation was not much of a concern as the days dragged ever onwards, and weeks, then months passed. Battle after battle was fought, and for many, it seemed like the Siege would never end; many took the only chance they saw. Some stabbed themselves with rocks and tried to pass it off as a combat wound to get back to the homeland. Others simply gave up and ended it all for themselves.

* * *

The day _it _happened, we were gathered on the ramparts, the entire army group, talking quietly to one another.

"My buddy in another regiment told me that the wall is close to breaking," whispered Shen to the others in our squad.

"I give it a week before we break through the second wall," Gyeong said, grinning.

Sakai pushed his glasses up in irritation.

"Of course not. We still have to clear the Agrarian Zone, after all…"

Fujiko shoved him into the others with a chuckle, and the squad burst into laughter, and I grinned at Fujiko as I polished my helmet. All along the trenchline, soldiers waited for their orders as they talked with a mixture of dread and excitement.

Finally, after more than a year of fighting, we had broken through. The Siege could be coming to an end soon, many whispered.

Yet deep down we all knew that the fight ahead would be fraught with difficulty and sacrifice. After all, there was an entire city to invade inside those colossal walls. Breaking through the outer layer was but the beginning.

Then, with a colossal noise of rock tumbling and a massive cloud of dust, the army silenced itself, and stared at the section of the wall, where a few loose, flaming pieces of catapult missiles tumbled into the crumbling wall. Massive sections of the wall tumbled loosely down, and a massive rent had been made in the formerly pockmarked and blackened wall. Far above, we could see the small forms of Earthbenders desperately trying to fix the hole, but it had become simply too large; the last salvo of trebuchet stones had caused a massive chain reaction in the wall.

There was a desolate silence for what seemed like forever. Then, in the distance, a figure sprinted out of the cover of the trench, holding a Fire Nation emblem.

"For the Fire Nation!" bellowed the distant voice.

We stared at the figure in astonishment, realizing that it was none other than Prince Lu Ten. Then, as our hearts leapt with the realization, a roar built its way from the trenches, and as one, thousands upon thousands of figures dressed in black and red uniforms clambered their way out of the deep trenches that had been their home for so long and charged at the distant wall, screaming oaths of defiance and victory. Fujiko glanced at me with a victorious grin, and slid her skull faceplate on, and jumped out of the trench, sprinting towards the distant wall. As one, we drew our weapons and joined her.

* * *

**Finally... we've broken through the walls of the enemy's stronghold. **

**Just kidding. **

**Sorry for the delay guys, and unfortunately it may be a while until my next update, as I have final exams coming up and I want to take a bit to pursue other things. But the next chapter is already in the works, so I promise you won't have to wait _too_ long. **

**As usual, thanks for reading. **

**Happy Summer,**

**-IGdude117**


	10. Chapter 10: Our Duty as Soldiers

95 AG- Day 522 of the Siege of Ba Sing Se

The Agrarian Zone of Ba Sing Se is a vast expanse of fields, villages, and peaceful roads that stretches onward for miles upon miles. Subdued, quiet villages house farmers who spend every day of their lives growing food for the distant inner city that they've never known. Why do they do this? Because they simply need to grow food in response to the protection offered to them by the massive walls of their Great City.

The Walls themselves are massive, and many houses are built into the wall itself. Soldiers often come through the zone, enroute to and from the massive walls and the sizable encampments. However, unlike their brethren in the inner city, the citizens of the Agrarian Zone were all too conscious of the chaotic battle that raged outside. The distant crack of rock hitting rock became a common sound for many, as did the distant, fiery flashes of light as lit rocks pounded away at the wall. Legions of soldiers passed through the many villages commonly, and the stream of wounded that returned quickly filled up the local healers and hospitals.

* * *

"_You always knew when an attack was coming,"_ says Dr. Xun Shao of the Fifth Legion's Field Hospital Corps.

"_There'd be a lot of talk amongst the enlisted men, which I would hear from my tent. The night before, the men would don their armor, their armored hats, and sharpen their weapons. The Earthbenders would spend hour upon hour throwing rocks at distant targets, and the 'krak' of rock hitting rock became routine, like the distant sound of Fire Nation artillery did. _

_Then, the camp would clear out, and then they would come back. Streams of wounded men would return, limping, crawling, and dying. Of course, the most common wound was burns. We healed a lot of those. We'd douse the wounds in water and give the boys a drink of Shaol to ease the pain. Then, we'd press leaves of the Ember Dragon plant after cleaning out the wound, and send them to the rear for special healing. Other than that, we got stab, slice, arrow, and all manner of other wounds._

_What haunts me today is the screams. Spirits, the screams. They'd scream at the slightest provocation. Moans, groans, and other exclamations became ingrained in my head so much that I'd hear them even when there were no more men left to treat. They'd cry out for their mothers, their wives, they'd plead with me to save them, or they'd pray to the Spirits to take mercy. Some men would simply lie there, with no particular wound, and simply stare blankly in the distance. We called these men the "Hollow Men", for they had no physical wound, but the war had taken from them their very soul. _

_By the time the enemy broke through, we had run out of space to stow the dying and dead."_

_-The Lost and the Damned_, page 223, Doctor Xun Shao.

* * *

As we sprinted towards the break in the wall, shouting with the fervor and zealotry of a schoolteacher, splinters of rock, massive boulders, and arrows arced down from the wall below. Men went down, screaming in pain as spikes, arrows, and boulders killed them at a rapid pace. I simply kept my head down and followed my squad.

Beside me, a few guys from Fifth Squad went down screaming as a swarm of rock spikes scythed through them. We sprinted across the wasteland, and every man's heart was beating rapidly. I know mine was. As it is when one goes into combat, my vision narrowed, and the only thing I kept in my mind was what my job was and what I would have to do.

* * *

Earlier, Captain Jirou had come around, explaining the plan.

"Our objective is to reach the Wall access stairs and take the walls. Our regiment and a few others will be securing this sector of the wall."

* * *

As we neared the hole, we could see the Earthbenders far above us hurling down boulders and desperately trying to patch the hole up. A few men with the Engineer Corp's rushed by.

"Give us some cover!" one bellowed as he lugged a large barrel full of blasting jelly.

Fujiko nodded to me, and we began shooting fireballs towards the distant ramparts, forcing the benders to duck backwards. I took a deep breath, and, summoning every bit of energy I could, summoned a massive wave of flame that I directed upwards. Several distant screams resounded through the chaos of the battle, and a few bodies tumbled down the walls.

A guy in an Engineer uniform ran up to me and started shouting.

"Fire at the barrels once everyone's through! We're blasting through!"

I nodded, and the approaching infantry paused and backed up, keeping up the stream of fireballs and arrows that they fired at the distant Earthbenders. I took a deep breath, looked at the stack of barrels, and thrust my palm out, releasing a jet of flame that lit the topmost barrel on fire. There was a moment of silence as the barrel burned, then it exploded concussively, throwing several men backwards and disintegrating the flimsy barricade that the Earthbenders had thrown up.

Stuffing my helmet back on, I helped Fujiko up and we charged through the flaming rubble, emerging in the Agrarian zone and smashing into a squad of Earthbenders who were picking themselves up. There was a moment of tense silence as the Earthbenders stared at the approaching swarms of Fire Nation infantry, and then we clashed, throwing ourselves into battle.

An Earthbender roared mightily as he lifted a massive rock to throw at me, but I lunged forward, punching him in the stomach, putting the full force of my bending into my fist, throwing him backwards several feet. A spear arced towards me from a glaring soldier, and I dodged the blade, sprinting past his guard and bending a fireball directly into his heart, tossing him aside lifelessly.

As more regulars poured in the breach, Earthbender reinforcements arrived to bolster their frail defense. Captain Jirou, a few feet away, casually blasted a group of Earth Soldiers away with a massive fireball, and then waved us forward, pointing to a massive, circular tower that hugged the wall.

"Get to the top!" he bellowed, and the different squads of the Thirteenth Company rallied briefly. Fujiko beckoned us forward, and Keita, Sakai, Gyeong, and Shen hurried over.

"Where are Ryu and Tetsuo?" she asked, referring to the two replacements that had joined a few weeks ago.

"They got hit by a boulder," Keita said, grimly.

Fujiko sighed deeply, and then looked up, removing her skull helmet, revealing her determined look.

"We're gonna take this wall once and for all, guys. Remember the mission and your fallen comrades. We're sure as hell not gonna let those Dirty bastards get the better of the Fire Nation. Let's go."

With that, she said her visor back, and Third Squad joined the streams of 13th Company soldiers filing into the cylindrical tower. As we entered, we looked up in amazement at the spiral staircase that reached up seemingly forever.

"That's a lot of walking," Sakai said.

* * *

As we climbed the stairs, our bending at the ready, the distant sounds of battle raged outside. Every few minutes, artillery would impact inside the walls, and chips of rock would shower us as we climbed. The distant sounds of swords clashing, the _foom_ of firebending, the _thoom_ of rock landing and the distant screams of dying men wailed into the cylinder menacingly.

We climbed the stairs for nearly half an hour before the sounds of fighting above us began to trickle down the stairs. The man in front of Fujiko paused, listening to something someone said in front of him. Then, his helmet turned, and his skull visor leered towards us.

"The Wall is being cleared. Squads one through five are moving to the right once we get out, five through ten are going left. Heavy resistance, pass it on."

The message made its way down the gathered men of the company, and the line kept moving.

"We're like lambs being led to slaughter," Shen whispered, nervously.

"Keep your faith in the Fire Lord, and all shall be resolved," Keita muttered in annoyance.

* * *

I caught up to Fujiko as we steadily climbed up, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"You ready?" I asked.

She snorted in derision.

"Of course. I've been damn well waiting for a year to get here."

"About that kiss…" I said, thinking back to that night in the trench.

She glanced back at me, her golden eyes glaring at me through the slits in her visor.

"That was wrong of me to do, Qin Lee. I wrongly brought personal matters into our professional relationship. Think nothing of it and move on," she said harshly.

I was taken aback slightly, startled by the woman's hostility. No matter how much I had liked Ayako, I would have been remiss if I had said I didn't have romantic feelings about Fujiko also. More so, as we had been through hell together.

I quickly regretted bringing the topic up, but as we neared the top, the thought of that left my mind, and two small flames ignited themselves in the palms of my hands as destiny and fate approached.

* * *

We emerged on the wall at long last to be greeted by utter chaos. Throngs of firebenders rushed about on the wall above, and far below, on the distant fields of mud and death, we finally got to see our forces from the enemy's point of view.

I never truly appreciated how many men were in this siege until I saw it from the wall. The horde of men darkened the ground, and the large forms of komodo-rhinos rubbed shoulders with forests of pikes, spears, and swords. The distant white dots of skull helmets studded the ground, and the distant line of trebuchets loomed threateningly in the darkness, silent for the first time in months.

Then, the distant sound of combat greeted our ears, and we moved on.

Fujiko paused for a moment, conversing with another sergeant who had just emerged from the access tower, and waved her hand to the right, where the receding forms of Firebenders and the distant flashes of combat remained just out of sight.

Then, the familiar gold-trimmed uniform of the Colonel emerged from the crowd, and a bloodied, battered Prince Lu Ten clambered on a pile of boulders, his helmet in hand.

"Men," he bellowed, shouting over the sounds of swords and bending.

"We've made it to the Wall after a year of sacrifice and blood. What we do today will echo through the annals of time. We have begun the Great Conquest of the world's Greatest City, and it has come at the hands of the Fire Nation!"

A large crowd of men began gathering around the Prince's rock. From the walls, Fire Nation archers and benders fired into the swirling melee on the distant outer zone of the city. Squadrons of men sprinted in every direction, reinforcing the fight to secure the walls. I stood amongst the crowd silently, my heart pounding as adrenaline flowed through my veins.

"The task ahead is hard, but we shall overcome it as we have every other obstacle. For we are the warriors of the Fire Nation! What we do today shall be remembered by further generations and the Spirits above. Now, for the Fire Nation and Firelord Azulon, do your duty!"

There was a massive, resounding cheer, and the crowd dispersed, going to their respective positions. Fujiko gathered the squad next to a large rampart and cleared her throat.

"Guys, we're here now, so don't mess it up. We're too close now to lose anyone. We've already lost too many members of this squad. Aoke, Okada, Yuko, Liao, Hiro, and all the other brave soldiers that have given their lives in this damned siege will be avenged. We all have grudges against the Earth Kingdom scum, so let's bring the damned fight to them for once and make them pay. Do your duty, third squad, and be careful. Move out."

And with that, and a shared glance between Fujiko and I, we moved down the wall towards a distant tower, where the sounds of swords clanging and fire exploding made its way through the din of war.

* * *

Unbeknownst to us, however, the Earth Kingdom was planning a massive counterattack at the same time. In Tamura's _History of the World_, he examines the Earth Kingdom's response, given the Dai Li's practice of brainwashing that was in its stride during the period.

"_Although those that lived in the Agrarian and Urban zones knew fully well about the Fire Nation invasion, given the disproportionate amount of refugees, action was slow to come, as the ruling government, particularly the Earth King, had little to no knowledge of the war, or the Breach. _

_Recently appointed Grand Secretariat Long Feng, however, knew fully well of the invasion, and had in fact been an active participant in anti-Fire Nation planning, having inserted Dai Li agents inside Fire Nation lines in order to cause chaos and sabotage. However, with the breach of the outer wall, he transferred full control of the military to General Mengyao, who was the leader of the Council of Five. _

_Mengyao immediately called the council together to discuss a response plan. After a day of discussions and planning, a plan was constructed that would push the Fire Nation out once and for all. Mengyao knew very well that once the Fire Nation erected more permanent defenses, like the trenchlines that zigzagged around the city, they would be very difficult to dislodge. Consequentially, he deployed the Palace Guard's First Legion, as well as the Fourteenth and Sixth Legions from their positions on uncontested sections of the city, and threw them into the fight. _

_However, it would take close to a month for the Legions to muster, rendezvous, and prepare for a direct assault, which Mengyao knew was too long of a wait. Desperately, Mengyao called the Popular Militia out of its solitude. The Popular Militia, which had been the force used to combat Chin the Conqueror's forces during the Chin War. Peasants from the Northern and Eastern sectors of the Agrarian Zone mustered quickly, were armed with spears, and were quickly sent into battle in a vain effort to maintain pressure on the Fire Nation's advance, which was quickly expanding. _

_Mengyao also redeployed wall garrison forces towards the sections of the wall that the Fire Nation possessed in an effort to take the Walls, which would have given the Earth Kingdom the so-called 'high ground' in the battle. _

_The bloodshed and chaos of the coming days would reflect Mengyao's effectiveness, but not before the Fire Nation took a bloody toll on the Earth Kingdom forces."_

_-Tamura, A Complete History of the World, Volume 3, page 124._

* * *

As night fell on that first day, the Third Squad relaxed in a captured tower on the wall, watching over the troops below and the distant section of the wall that contained enemy forces. Our battle had been ongoing for most of the day, and the Fire Nation army had made good progress on both the Walls and the Agrarian Zone below. Up above, the 122nd Regiment had led the charge in taking the Walls, and Prince Lu Ten had been very satisfied with the regiment's progress.

Progress, however, came at a price.

The casualty count was staggeringly high. The tower that we were holding had been transformed into a field hospital of sorts, and row after row of wounded soldiers filled the tower's several floors quickly. We went on top of the tower to relax after the stench became too much to handle.

Down below, the other regiments had dug in for the night, erecting crude barricades and trenches (more like ditches) in which to defend from. There had been heavy fighting for a while, then the Earth Kingdom soldiers had retreated to a nearby village to fortify their position. Every few minutes, the _crack_ of rocks flying and the distant flashes of fire would flare in the deep night as roving patrols of earthbenders probed the Fire Nation lines.

I, for one, was completely exhausted. We spread out on the top of the watchtower, laying out our bedrolls and leaning against the cold, hard ramparts in exhaustion. Sakai broke apart a few crates with his sword and started a small fire, and we all simply laid there in exhaustion, staring at the flickering flames.

Shen huddled against a stone battlement, nursing his broken arm in pain. The regimental healer had applied a crude splint for his arm, but the wound wasn't severe enough to warrant a spot down below; a simple boulder hit from an Earthbender had shattered his forearm, yet puncture wounds, lacerations, and multiple fractures took priority.

Then, after a while, the warm air opened in a massive deluge, and rain began to pour down, drenching us in water and forcing the embattled fire into a tiny one. I shifted my position, sitting up, and wrapped myself in my blanket, putting it over my head to protect myself from the rain. My helmet sat beside me; it was uncomfortable on a good day, and there was little chance of being attacked on the top of the wall.

There was an overbearing silence amongst us, and the distant sound of fighting was the only thing to be heard, the echo wafting over us like a stray breeze.

Then, Gyeong sat up, humming a familiar melody to himself. I recognized it immediately, as my mother used to sing it to me when I was little.

"Is that _Leaves From the Vine_?" I asked, smiling with the memory as I shielded myself from the pouring rain.

Gyeong grinned.

"Yeah. My father used to sing it to me."

_Leaves from the Vine_

_Falling so slow_

Below, there was a clatter of boots on rock as a squad of regulars sprinted through, their sergeant shouting orders to them as they ran towards the distant enemy quadrant of the wall.

_Like fragile, tiny shells_

_Drifting in the foam_

Keita woke quietly, listened to Gyeong's soft singing and smiled for the first time in a long time, undoubtedly thinking of better times.

_Little soldier boy_

_Comes marching home_

In the room below, the muffled sound of a man screaming in fear echoed up through the trapdoor, followed by the hushed whispers of healers trying to calm a frightened soldier.

_Brave soldier boy_

_Comes marching home_

Then, as Gyeong's singing trailed off, and my eyes struggled to stay open, there was a moment of complete silence as the war seemed to stop for a moment as the lullaby's words drifted through the embattled city.

* * *

**In the next installment, the Earth Kingdom strikes back, hard, and the soldiers of the First Army are forced to confront the possibility of defeat.**

**One quick deviation: yesterday was June 6, marking the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasions of 1944. I just wanted to take a moment to remember all the men and women that lost their lives during the Normandy Invasions and the Second World War. May they Rest in Peace. **

**Thanks for reading and please review!**

**-IGdude117**


	11. Chapter 11: A Turn for the Worse

"_The surrender of General Chang of the 23__rd__ Garrison marked the high point of Fire Nation fortunes during the Six Hundred Day siege of Ba Sing Se. After Fire Nation forces broke through the Outer Wall on the 522__nd__ Day of the Siege, the First Army quickly consolidated its position, digging in quickly. Firebenders of the 122__nd__, 124__th__, and 126__th__ (the entire Firebender section of General Bujing's 32__nd__ Division) secured a large section of the Western Wall, capturing ten miles' worth of territory, and subsequently securing it against other garrison elements from Earth Kingdom controlled sectors. _

_On the ground, the infantry regiments of the 32__nd__ Division, as well as the entirety of the 20__th__ Division and the expedition from Shu's Third Army under the command of Lieutenant Commander Zhao exploited the breach in the wall and captured a vast swathe of land in the Agrarian Zone, even coming within ten miles of the Wall on the Fourth day of the Consolidation. _

_It was here, also, that some of the Fire Nation's greatest atrocities took place; the village of Fandao, for example, was razed to the ground by roving bands of Komodo- Rhino cavalry units, which were tasked with raiding villages and cutting supply lines. _

_The 13__th__ Mounted Infantry entered the village quickly, rounded up all its inhabitants, locked them in the town hall and razed the entire village to the ground. Known as the Fandao Massacre, over 900 villagers were executed in cold blood; an action that would be repeated many times by frustrated Firebenders who patrolled and assaulted Earth Kingdom positions in the Agrarian Zone."_

_Professor Jinhai, A Treatise on the First Siege of Ba Sing Se, page 421._

* * *

After holding our positions on the Walls for a week, we were redeployed to the ground to assist in pushing outwards in the Agrarian Zone. As Colonel Lu Ten explained to us in a massive mission briefing, we were to push out to the left of the Agrarian Zone, alongside the rest of the 32nd Division, and take as much land as we possibly could so that the artillery, which was being moved forward, would be protected from Earth Kingdom attacks from the left and right flanks, from sections of the wall that were too far away to be taken.

The City, we realized, was simply too large. General Shota's 12th Division was doing its best to tie up Earth Kingdom troops on the Northern Front, their numbers were steadily declining, even with the legendary Yuyan Archers on their side. The City was a country in its own right, and there were thousands of places that armies could come from to attack us.

However, we moved steadily forward and established tenuous holds on the Agrarian Zone. Barricades, houses, villages became the replacement for trenches, and despite the many Earthbender assaults that we took, we held them off every time.

We heard about the rumors, of course. Rumors about horrific massacres, terrible crimes that had been unleashed on Earth Kingdom villagers. Those of us that had been around long enough knew that there was probably merit to the rumors, but speculation continued unabated. I myself had never seen or taken part in a massacre, but I knew that there were some truly sick bastards that did that kind of crap.

* * *

Once again, I turn to my journals and other accounts to tell the story.

_Day 539, Winter. _

_We lost Sakai today. We were probing the enemy lines around midnight, trying to find a gap in the Earth Kingdom's fortifications. They've taken to simply bending rock walls out of the ground and defending from those. Bastards. We have to dig in the ground and fortify, and all they have to do is wave a hand, and they have a trenchworks that is ten times stronger than anything we had. _

_It started raining as soon as we got about a mile out from our positions surrounding the village of Jianfan. We were crouching our way through the maze of fences walling off the fields; at least the sunken fields provide good cover. _

_A large Earth Kingdom patrol of about twenty guys passed by, and just our luck, stopped to take a break. To make a long story short, one of their guys ended up accidentally pissing on one of ours, and we got into a big fight. We managed to fight them off, but not before Sakai took a rock spike through the gut. We tried carrying him back to the Field Hospital, but he died twenty minutes away from our lines. _

_He spent the whole time apologizing to us. I don't know why. He just kept saying "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."_

_Sakai was a good man. A good fighter. He didn't deserve to go out like that._

* * *

_Report to Fire Lord Azulon_

_From: General Iroh_

_Greetings, father; I hope you are well. The siege here goes well, but our progress is slowing. The Earth Kingdom is responding quickly to our advance, and is throwing units of militia against our forces. We slaughter them by the thousands, but they keep coming. The resilience of these people is almost inspiring, if not incredible. They just won't give up. _

_Morale is low, however. The endless attacks are wearing on the men. Some of them have been fighting since long before the New Year. I've received reports mass retreats from some of the Infantry Corps regiments. I've ultimately left discipline to individual regiment leaders, but I'm urging them to be lenient. I know you won't approve, father, but executions will only turn the men against me. _

_Once more, father, I must urge you to send whatever reinforcements you can. There are simply not enough men here to do what needs to be done. I know our forces our spread all through the Earth Kingdom, but I beg you; we need more. _

_Send my love to Ozai and Ursa. _

_-Iroh_

* * *

_To: General Mengyao_

_From: Commander How, Fourteenth Legion_

_Progress is good, all things considered. I hesitate to say perfect as we are still taking heavy casualties, but the muster is almost complete. The Sixth Legion has already arrived, and we're waiting for the First to arrive in full. The other Generals are optimistic, and our ostrich-horse riders have engaged the enemy Komodo Rhino squadrons to good effect. The Popular Militia is also coming in handy. I hesitate to send these citizens into battle for no better cause than to die, but they seem almost eager to do so. Hatred towards the Fire Nation is high, and these farmers show up in droves to get a chance at the enemy invaders. We're maintaining pressure on the Fire Nation, and we've already identified several areas where their defenses are spread out too much. _

_The Dai Li agents you sent have also come in handy. Reports from them indicate that we're facing around two divisions' worth of soldiers, with additional cavalry, artillery, and support personnel. A daunting task, to say the least, but achievable- I assure you, General, it can be done. _

_Other reports indicate that the enemy's morale is dangerously low, in addition. They've apparently been having mass retreats in even the smallest engagements. I predict that our attack will result in a mass retreat that will allow us to eliminate and expel the last remaining Fire Nation soldiers. _

_Sincerely, _

_Commander How, Fourteenth Legion Commanding Officer._

* * *

_Day 566, Winter._

_This damned rain doesn't stop. Every day, it's the same thing. A pouring torrent of rain that dampens our bending and makes the men miserable. _

_We found ourselves entrenched in a barn today. It's relatively comfortable, actually. Some of the men are lying in bales of hay, and Fujiko and I stand guard for now, watching out the cracked windows for signs of patrols. _

_Something's up, though. We've been seeing massive troop buildups in the last few days on patrol, and it doesn't bode well. Captain Jirou says that they're probably planning a counterattack in a few days. At least the Trebuchets are back and in action. They've deployed them near our original breach, the so-called "Camp Azulon", which was affectionately named after the distant Fire Lord. _

_Morale is low, and Iroh knows this, so he pays frequent visits to the front. He came around a few days ago and chatted our squad up. He even shared a cup of tea with us, and we spent half an hour joking and chatting with Crown Prince Iroh. It was surreal, even though I had met him before. _

_I have a bad feeling in my gut. Something's coming._

* * *

Day 593, Winter.

The Fall, as we called it, started on a normal, rainy day.

Our squad was camped in a makeshift fort that had been formed from large logs, boulders, and mud that we had used to wall in the village that we were camped up in, along with the rest of 13th Company.

The village, of course, had been empty when we got there, and some of the others got busy looting the houses, taking food, jewelry, and coins where they found them.

* * *

It started around midday. I was standing on the roof of a tall farmhouse with Shen when I noticed a flurry of movement in the distance.

"Give me the spyglass," I murmured.

Shen rummaged through his pack and handed me the telescope, which I looked through hastily. To my horror, I could see squads of Earth Kingdom troops surging from their positions and summoning great plates of rock to shield their movements.

"Damn it," I cursed, and I quickly slid down the roof and sprinted towards Captain Jirou's billet, grabbing Fujiko on the way.

"What is it?" she asked, confused.

"It's an attack!"

I burst into the billet and saluted. Captain Jirou glared at me from his desk, where he was pouring over some maps with his Lieutenants.

"What is the meaning of this interruption, Corporal Lee?" he asked, his pipe hanging from his mouth, as usual.

"Sir, the enemy is attacking from the North. In force."

Jirou cursed, grabbed his helmet, and sprinted outside. He glanced through his spyglass quickly, cursed again, and looked at us.

"Sergeant Fujiko rally the squads and prepare for combat. Send a runner back to Camp Azulon and get us some reinforcements."

She saluted quickly, and I followed her as we sprinted towards our position.

"To Arms!" she bellowed, sprinting all out towards the front lines.

Relaxing soldiers scrambled into action, stuffing their armor on and grabbing their weapons.

Overhead, massive stone discs with large squares cut out in the center flew overhead crashing into the field behind us with a concussive blast.

"That's new," I noted, kindling flames in my hands.

"Longer range. Great," Fujiko spat.

We slid into our positions, where the others in the squad were shoving their armor on and running outside, taking position behind the tall barricades. Overhead, the massive discs _whooshed_ above us, exploding in great clouds of dirt. I looked out over the fields, where hordes of men huddled behind large square rocks, nearing my outer range.

Direct attacks wouldn't work, so I would have to either arc them or use explosive bending, which always drained my energy quickly.

"Arc your shots," I said grimly.

"Take out the shields first then take those dirties out," shouted a sergeant from Second Squad.

There was a tense silence as the world seemed to go silent, and then all hell broke loose.

* * *

The enemy came from below us, tunneling underneath our defenses and emerging from behind us. The first sign we had of this was when Gyeong emitted a bloodcurdling scream as a spike ruptured his chest from behind.

I whirled around, taking stock of the situation, and leapt into action. An earthbender was bending a succession of smaller versions of the large discs they had been throwing before, and I ducked underneath his fire, sliding behind him. I bended a blast of fire into his knee, and he fell to the ground with a grunt of pain, and I finished him off with a blast to the face.

A second bender hit me with a pillar of stone that erupted from the ground, throwing me backwards a few feet. I quickly clambered to my feet and tossed a few fireballs at him, barely dodging a few rock splinters that _whizzed _over my head. Glaring, I launched myself into the air and swept my foot diagonally, emitting a wave of fire that slammed into his chest and sent him to the ground, steaming slightly.

All around me, as before, the sounds of combat filled the air, and the crackle of rock and the _fwoosh_ of fire came from every direction. I sprinted towards the rest of my squad, which was bending towards the distant soldiers desperately.

I concentrated on a quickly approaching squad of earthbenders, and, with a large flux of energy, I concentrated my fire into a thin beam that sliced through the rock, making it crumble. I blinked through my temporary bout of dizziness and let loose a succession of blasts, felling several soldiers. Then, a large disc crashed into my position, and I was knocked unconscious.

* * *

I was quickly revived and the battle continued on fiercely. We pulled back, on the order of the Captain, to the center of town, where the survivors of 13th Company were holed up in the town hall. Earthbenders were pouring into the town from the tunnels and the fields, and rocks battered at the thick wooden walls unceasingly. They took cover in the buildings around us, battering us endlessly. We were surrounded.

The sound of war filled my ears, and a sinking sense of desperation gripped me.

This was it. This was the end. There was no way we were walking away from this. We were finished. I kept bending, desperately, and then a rock spike grazed my side, tearing through the armor and several layers of my skin.

I roared in pain, falling backwards with the spike's force, and I gripped my bleeding side in agony. Fujiko dragged me backwards and started screaming for a healer. Then, however, a massive pillar of flame erupted from the right flank of the horde of earthbenders, and I propped myself up to peek over the battlements of the town hall.

* * *

From the East, they came.

There were only five of them, dressed in crimson uniforms, with three glaring eyes and three angry horns sneering from their helmets. They moved in perfect synchronization, bending colossal pillars of flame towards the enemy, torching swathes of the enemy in flame. Then, miraculously, they jumped into the air and flew on jets of flame into the midst of the enemy horde, where they began fighting in earnest.

The lead man, whose angry, hatful visage peered from beneath his helmet, flung men in every direction as he bended fireball after fireball into the approaching earthbenders. Whips of flame, jets of fire, even swords writhing in flames were these men's weapons.

And like that, the enemy retreated, and the five men, with weaker fireballs from the remaining firebenders atop the town hall, pushed them back.

We staggered out of the town hall in disbelief, staring in shock at the five men and the field of bodies that surrounded them. Their leader swept his helmet off, revealing a bald head with a tall topknot. He walked towards us, and saluted to Captain Jirou, who bowed deeply, holding his shoulder where it had been stabbed by an Earthbender's spear.

"Captain, you and your men had best fall back to Camp Azulon as soon as you can."

Jirou bowed again, and I finally realized who the men were.

They were Imperial Firebenders.

Their leader walked up to me and Fujiko, who was supporting me as I clutched my bleeding side in pain.

"You're Qin Lee, right?" he asked.

"Y- Yes, sir."

The man smirked, crossing his arms.

"I'm Colonel Oda of the Imperial Firebenders. I understand you're to join us if we survive to get back to the capital."

"I think so, sir."

Oda nodded, satisfied.

"You have skill. You'll make a fine initiate."

With that, he nodded respectfully, and he and his squad walked off towards the rear.

* * *

Of the 98 men that had garrisoned the village at the beginning of the day, only twenty one returned to Camp Azulon. Seventy Seven Firebenders of the 13th Regiment had perished. Gyeong, Shen, and the replacement that had replaced Sakai had all been killed.

I was wounded, as was Captain Jirou and a host of men from the other squads. As we walked through the camp as night fell, it seemed that the other regiments had done about the same. Ragged infantrymen limped through the makeshift camp, and casualty after casualty was laid by the field hospital.

One healer estimated that there were over 2,500 wounded on the first day. There were also 5,000 dead on the same day.

On orders from General Iroh, we fortified our positions around Camp Azulon in anticipation of the advancing Earth Kingdom soldiers.

It has been universally agreed that the Earthbender's tunneling actions all across the front was instrumental in the Earth Kingdom victory. Formerly secure Fire Nation positions were suddenly surrounded as earthbenders burst from the very ground to catch the Fire Nation troops in a deadly crossfire. Thousands died in the mass retreats, and the ragged remains of the First Army fortified the trenches around Camp Azulon.

* * *

That night, as I lay in the trench, gingerly holding my massive wound which had been sewed shut and bandaged by a healer, Prince Lu Ten stopped by.

"Corporal Lee. What happened?"

"Rock spike, sir. It's nothing; just a scratch."

He chuckled and took a seat next to me, sitting in the wet mud to my surprise. The Colonel looked a lot bloodier than he had before. Now, he had a long scar running across his cheek, and he was scratched, bruised, and bashed in several places.

He pulled out a flask from his armor and offered it to me. I took a drink and smiled, savoring the familiar taste of _Kasao_. I took a gulp, grimaced, and handed it back to him.

"Rough situation," he noted.

I chuckled.

"The spirits must be frowning on us," I muttered.

He smiled.

"Father would probably say that the Spirits only care for us, and that they rarely take direct action in real life," he said, snorting.

"Is he right? Are there _really_ spirits?" I asked, taking another sip of the fiery alcohol.

"I don't know," he sighed. "Could be. It certainly makes the prospect of death a lot more welcoming. I'd like to think that I'd be reunited with all the ancestors and crap."

"Makes it so we have something to die for, sir."

"I suppose. But what if we end up like Kano the Capricious? Getting our guts picked out by a crow? That would be a really bad reward."

We laughed quietly as the rain continued to pour down on us. Fujiko glanced at us from under her blanket as she rested. Keita stared blankly out of the trench towards the distant positions where scattered squads of Fire Nation troops tried to delay the Earth Kingdom legions.

There was a deep silence, and the soft patter of the rain intermixed with distant chatter from soldiers.

"Is this it?" I asked soberly, handing him the flask back.

He finished the flask off, grimacing.

"What do you mean?"

"Are we gonna die here?"

Smiling, Lu Ten chucked the flask behind him.

"Does it matter? All that matters is that we gave our lives fighting for our Nation."

"You really believe that, sir? Even if _we're_ the conquerors? The bad guys?"

The Colonel clambered to his feet, clapping me on the shoulder.

"It's not the Firelord we're fighting for, Qin Lee. It's what our Nation represents; Honor. Courage. Bravery. Determination. It's for our families back home; our nephews, cousins, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles. Every life we give means another second our families can live on in peace. It's worth the price, don't you think?"

I nodded, and he smiled reassuringly, walking back down the trench, talking to different soldiers, clasping shoulders, reassuring and soothing the fear that had overtaken the survivors.

* * *

Later that night, Prince Lu Ten, son of Iroh, was killed when a massive disc took out the entire center part of the outer trenches. Mercifully, he died instantly. The Regiment was taken over by Captain Kinoshi, but the damage had been done. We all respected Lu Ten. Every engagement, every battle, he would lead from the front. A fearsome warrior in his own right, he was known as being a kind-hearted but dutiful soldier that knew his duty and thought of little else but his men.

While other Colonels would send their regiments into the jaws of death without a second thought, Lu Ten always cared for every last one of his men. His death made our moral plummet. All could see, in every regiment; the end was near.

* * *

It took the First Army another seven days to die.

We fought as hard as we could, of course. Every man gave his best every day and every night. Time and time again, their forces would converge upon our trenchline, and each time we would beat them back. Each time, they retreated, leaving scores of their own dead and more of our own.

Rumors bounded around the camp as the fear took hold. General Iroh, they said, had died of grief. The Earth Kingdom had us surrounded. Camp Teshima had been invaded. The Firelord had ordered us to be abandoned. Our army had been infiltrated by spies. The fear was palpable; it lingered on the air like the stench of the battlefield, and you could see it in every man's eyes, hear it in every man's voice.

* * *

When we finally received the order to retreat, the ragged remains of the First Army struggled out of the war-torn landscape of Ba Sing Se and simply ran away. We retreated endlessly, it seemed, with the Earth Kingdom at our backs and fear in our hearts. We passed our old trenches without a second thought. The twisted remains of the artillery lay strewn about, and the desolately empty Camp Teshima was abandoned when we got there.

Quickly and chaotically, we boarded the ships as the massive legions of the Earth Kingdom spilled from the rupture in Ba Sing Se's walls, and as our fleet made its way back home, we could see the enemy spilling into Camp Teshima, being fought off by the last rearguard units who had been fated to stay and die.

We had lost.

* * *

By final count, the Fire Nation lost over 200,000 men during the Six Hundred Day Siege of Ba Sing Se. We had lost many men- the death toll was staggering, in fact. General Shota's Twelfth Division, which had been fighting a losing battle to the North was virtually wiped out, with only 543 making it back to Camp Teshima. The 20th Division had been decimated, with only 2,000 men making it onto the ships from the original 50,000. Our division, the 32nd, took even worse casualties, with barely 1,500 making it from 55,000 original soldiers.

Colonel Lu Ten, a war hero, as well as a host of other officers, had fallen in battle. General Iroh had, after his son died, shut down completely, and resigned his office and his birthright soon after. We still respected him immensely of course. No man gave fault to the General for his defeat. Lu Ten's death impacted most of the soldiers similarly.

* * *

We were given a long furlough after the defeat at Ba Sing Se. On the boat ride back, I sat with Fujiko and Keita, the only two remaining members of the squad left. We spent the entire ride in complete silence, and the other soldiers on the boat simply sat in a daze, as if they were not quite sure what had happened.

My side was acting up horribly, and a healer told me that there were still a few rock shards lodged in my side. After a half a day's worth of traveling, we arrived in Varron, and I was loaded onto a stretcher alongside the other wounded men; coincidentally, Varron's medical facilities were the designated area for all wounded soldiers coming from the front.

As I was carried away, Fujiko walked beside my stretcher.

She looked… older. Her eyes were tired, blank, and her skin seemed to be taut. I felt as tired as she looked, as well. My bones ached, my heart ached, and my side felt as if it were on fire. Images flitted through my mind; men dying, fire was exploding, spears stabbing, swords slicing. The screams of the dying echoed in my ears.

They deposited me on the docks, and Fujiko took a seat beside me.

"I guess… this is it?" she said at length, her exhausted voice conveying uncertainty and confusion.

"Yep."

"You're a good soldier, Qin Lee. I've said it before."

"So are you. You and Keita are all that's left of the old squad. Keep it together, sarge. Get those bastards back."

She nodded, the paused, as if she had something to say. I almost wanted her to kiss me and profess her love, but I shunted the thought aside. That wasn't her character. Then, she stood, saluted stiffly, and walked back towards the ship.

I saluted wearily, and blackness overtook my vision as my stretcher was picked up once more.

* * *

**Next chapter, Qin Lee recuperates in his childhood home once more and begins his long road to recovery. The war drags on, however, and the Fire Nation Royal Family restructures itself, and a new Fire Lord takes the throne. Qin Lee also confronts the fact that he'll be joining the most prestigious organization in Fire Nation history. **

**In other news, a few episodes from the Legend of Korra Season 3 have been leaked in Latin America. I would watch them, but I kind of want to watch it on TV first. How about you guys?**

**Anyways, thanks for reading!**

**-IGdude117**


	12. Chapter 12: Wounds That Never Heal

95 AG- Fifteen Days after the Ba Sing Se defeat

The road to recovery was a long one. After I was unceremoniously dumped on the docks of Varron, I slipped into and out of consciousness for, apparently, a period of about a week. My mother, and other nurses working in the Varron Hospital, managed to bring me back from the brink of death; my wound had been infected with the "Sleeping Sickness", which was why my consciousness had become so fragile. Luckily, however, they managed to keep me alive with some herbs and plant mixtures.

I woke up with a pounding headache and a side that screamed in agony. In fact, it was sort of like waking up the morning after drinking a bottle of _Kasao_, but I digress.

My mother noticed me sitting up in bed, and she came over.

"Mom?"

"Good. You're awake. How do you feel?"

"Like a pack of camel-oxen just ran me over, but other than that, I'm fine."

"How's your side?"

"Hurts, but it comes and goes. How long have I been out?"

"A week. You got the Sleeping Sickness."

I cursed silently and she smiled.

"You get some rest, okay? I'll tell you more about what's going on in a bit."

* * *

As soon as she left, and I laid down, the memories, which had been curiously absent, came flooding back. The blood, the guts, the sounds of war, the screams, the dying; it flooded back to me in a chaotic cacophony of pain and suffering.

I groaned and held my forehead in pain.

"Where are you hit?" asked a gruff voice from my left.

I turned my head slightly and saw a man in the uniform of the Cavalry Corps whose legs were now bandaged stumps.

"The side," I responded.

"Rock spike?"

"Yeah."

"Name's Ryu. 10th Cavalry Regiment."

"Qin Lee. 122nd Firebenders."

"The Prince's 122nd, right? You guys were on the Left Flank?"

"Yeah. Damned Dirties pushed us back with tunneling attacks. How 'bout you?"

"The same. They ambushed us with ostrich-horse rider squads and decimated our Komodo Rhino squads. Spent the rest of the siege fighting on foot."

I nodded, quietly reflecting that this man may have participated in one of the infamous massacres we had heard about earlier.

"I was sorry to hear about the Prince."

"He was a good soldier. He'll be missed."

The cavalryman nodded silently, and then turned his head in the other direction. I stared at the distant ceiling, conflicting emotions swirling within me.

* * *

Time passed. Days became months, and I quickly tired of being confined to a hospital bed. Ayako came to visit me a few times. I had written her a few letters, but truth be told, I was simply not in the state of mind to be thinking about women. I talked a lot with my mother and father respectively, and I got to know Ryu of the Cavalry and the man to my right, a Lieutenant Hirano from the 31st Infantry.

I was soon able to walk on my own, and I took frequent walks. My side would sting every so often, the stitches aching almost constantly, but after a few months, I had nearly recovered completely.

* * *

One night, as I sat by the waterfront, staring into the distance at the ships that lurched forward inexorably, I felt my mother sit down beside me.

"How's your side?"

"Better. Thanks to you."

There was a long silence.

"You'll have to go soon, won't you?"

"Yeah. To the Capital. I'm to join the Imperial Firebenders."

"I'm proud of you, son."

I was suddenly reminded of the fact that my mother had been there all my life, and that I had never really thanked her for it. Father had often been gone for months on end, tending to his trading company, and that became a norm. My mother, however, had to raise me as both a father and a mother. She was always there. Every time I broke up with a girlfriend, failed an exam at school, or felt conflicted about something, she was there.

I put my arm around her.

"Thank you, mother. For everything."

She smiled, and hugged me back.

We stared at the water again quietly.

"Were you scared? Over there, I mean."

In my head, the screams surfaced again, as if struggling to stay afloat.

"Yeah. Every day."

She nodded.

"You know, my Uncle served also. He was an infantryman in the Western Campaigns, at the beginning of the war. Whenever he returned, he would be joyful, funny, and happy. Yet every time I passed his room on my way to my bedroom, I could always hear quiet sobbing from his room. There would be times where he'd just… go silent. He wouldn't talk, he would just sit and stare, lost in whatever nightmare he was forced into."

I leaned back. The waves crashed against the beach softly, and in the distance, a merchant cruiser chugged away peacefully, on its way to whatever trade port it was bound for.

"Every day I work in that hospital, I see boys come in with the most terrible of wounds. Young boys, too. They'll come in, their legs blown off, or their arms mangled, and each time I look at them, I'm sure it's you. I'd pray to the spirits every night that your lifeless body wouldn't be carried in, or that you'd come in, a husk of your former self.

So when you finally _did_ come in, I nearly broke then and there."

Her voice was so full of emotion, fear and pain that I had to hold back tears.

"You boys go over there and risk your lives so that we can live in peace. A lot of people here don't appreciate that. And I do know that some of the people you're with are bad people that do bad things. But each and every one of you kids gave the ultimate price; your innocence. I'm proud of you, Qin Lee, but I know that you've changed. I know that this war has taken from you your optimism. But know this; no matter how horrible, how depressing this war may be, you can never give up hope. It's a cliché, I know, but it's true. Hope is something that you can never give up."

* * *

Suki, leader of the famed Kyoshi Warriors, once wrote something in her memoirs that sticks out to me in particular.

"_It is the warrior's curse that we never stop being one. Sure, the war may end, the fighting may cease, and the Nations may be in balance, but that… that aspect of you never goes away. When the war ended, and my Sisters were freed, we thought everything would be fine and dandy, even with the Harmony Restoration crisis and the many other crises that occurred after that. But I'd always have that urge. I would walk into a vendor's shop and, as I handed over the coins to buy a piece of fruit, I'd look at the man and think how many ways I could kill him. I'd envision it perfectly; a sudden lunge across the counter into his windpipe, a gentle tug over the counter, and a simple hit with my sword that would put him out of action forever. _

_That is why I rarely leave Kyoshi Island. In my heart, I know, even though I've never had a murderous impulse in my life, that the capability to take someone's life remains there, hidden and waiting, like the great Unagi that waits out of our shores."_

_-Suki of the Kyoshi Warriors; "Painted face, Hidden Blade: a Kyoshi Warrior's Memoirs," page 222._

* * *

I stayed in Varron a full two months after my full recovery. It had been four months since the defeat at Ba Sing Se, and I spent most of it resting, spending time with my family, and spending time with Ayako, who I had lost interest in, but I was too wrapped up in the fallacy, the fantasy of having a normal life that I never told her.

My orders arrived in the early morning in the hands of a Interior Guardsman.

"Corporal Qin Lee of the 122nd Firebender Regiment?" the man asked.

I nodded once, and he handed me an ornate scroll, affixed with the seal of the Royal Family.

"You are hereby ordered to report to the Capital City for induction into the Imperial Firebenders. You are advised to leave tomorrow at the latest, and a messenger will be standing by to give you instructions upon your arrival."

I nodded, and saluted to the man who walked down the street confidently. My mother walked up behind me, a sad look in her eyes.

"You have to go," she observed.

I nodded.

* * *

The next day, as I stood on the docks, dressed in my uniform, waiting for the next ferry, I waited next to my parents. The ship soon steamed into the harbor, and we stepped aside as soldiers ran to and forth carrying litters of wounded and boxes of supplies.

I was struck by the familiarity of the situation; lines of dead and dying men being carried past me, it felt like Ba Sing Se. A sailor walked up to me with a book and looked at me tiredly.

"Name and business."

"Corporal Qin Lee, 122nd Firebenders, on transfer to the Capital for further orders."

"Do you have any orders?"

I handed him the scroll and he looked at it with interest immediately, noticing the Royal Seal.

"The Imperial Firebenders, huh? Well, welcome aboard."

He walked back up the gangplank into the ship and began yelling at some other sailors. I turned to my parents and hugged each one tightly, knowing deep down that this would be the last time in a long time that I'd see them.

"I'm proud of you, son," my father whispered. "Do us proud."

My mother simply hugged me tightly, crying softly into my shoulder.

"Come back," she whispered desperately.

I boarded the ship and leaned on the guard railing sadly, waving goodbye to my parents. Then, the ship shuddered to life, a large smoke cloud belching from the chimney, and we were on our way.

* * *

Tamura paints an adequate picture of the world's state in Spring 95 AG in his book.

"_The Defeat of the First Army at Ba Sing Se set into motion a chain of events that would lead to the Fire Nation's eventual defeat. First and foremost, Crown Prince Iroh abdicated his right to the throne as well as his rank as a result of the loss of his son, Colonel Lu Ten, in the Siege. This, suspiciously enough, was followed closely by the death of Fire Lord Azulon in his sleep a few weeks later, and the crowning of Fire Lord Ozai. After a three week National Mourning period for their departed leader, rumors of foul play and assassination swirled through the Nation, and the newly crowned Ozai responded by consolidating the Interior Guard and cracking down on dissidence and resistance amongst the populace. _

_In the Earth Kingdom, the Sixth and Fourteenth Legions consolidated control around Ba Sing Se and reestablished their former positions in and around the city in anticipation of a Fire Nation return. Efforts to repair the wall were put into place, and the city began a period of rebuilding and recuperation. _

_In the Western Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation strengthened its hold on the local populace, and preparations for a siege of the city of Omashu were put into the preliminary planning stage. Widespread skirmishes continued in the South as Fire Nation armies attempted to spread towards the city of Chin and Kyoshi Island, but Earth Kingdom resistance strengthened considerably, and the Fire Nation was halted at the battle of Maolin. _

_In the Northern Air Temple, an advance party of infantry and firebender troops approached the Air Temple in the hopes of colonizing it, only to find that the inhabitants of a village led by a figure known as the "Mechanist" had settled there. It was here that the deal for the Mechanist to produce new technology for the Fire Nation was begun, leading to the War Balloon and Tank technologies. _

_The Northern Water Tribe maintained its defense against Fire Nation Raiders, and Fire Nation raids on the Southern Tribes continued unabated."_

_Tamura, "A History of the World", Volume 3, page 156_

* * *

I arrived, once again, at the Fire Nation docks to be greeted by a messenger dressed in an all red military uniform. I shouldered my pack and walked up to him, recognizing the Royal Seal and assuming he was my liaison. As I neared, the man crossed his arms regarded me curiously.

"Are you Corporal Lee?"

"Yes, sir," I said, glancing at his sergeant's insignia.

"My name is Sergeant Ueno. I'm in charge of initiate training. Follow me to the carriage, and we'll make our way to the Royal Palace."

Once again, I found myself in a carriage bound for the Royal Palace; an occurrence that, curiously enough, had happened before. I clambered into the carriage and set my pack next to me. Sergeant Ueno sat across from me and stared out the window, and we spent the first half of the ride in total silence.

"You were at Ba Sing Se?" He asked, after a while.

"Yes, sir."

"What unit?"

"The 122nd, sir. Prince Lu Ten's regiment."

"Good. You're a veteran, then?"

"Yes, sir. I spent the majority of the siege in battle."

The man lifted his eyebrow in surprise, impressed.

"One year, huh? You have potential then."

He turned back to staring at the passing buildings, and I sized up my compatriot in curiosity. He was well built, muscular, and he had a large patch of skin that was lighter than the others on his cheek. He noticed my stare, despite my effort to be covert, and he smiled.

"Took a boulder to the face. Grazing hit; I'm damned lucky I wasn't standing an inch to the left, else I wouldn't be here now. Got it when we were in the West. Nasty stuff."

I nodded, and we remained in silence until the familiar jet-black Royal Palace came into sight.

We entered the walls, and the carriage stopped in front of the steps, where a small collection of men stood around. Ueno opened the carriage door and hopped out, and I followed.

"Listen up!" he bellowed.

"This is our last recruit; Corporal Lee. Now that we're all here, get yourselves into a line so that you won't _completely_ embarrass me when the Firelord gets here!"

There was an excited murmur amongst the men as we got into a line. I awkwardly shouldered my pack and stood on the far right of the line, next to a tanned guy with light brown hair.

"Sergeant Mori," the man introduced himself. "234th Firebenders. Corporal Lee, is it? Where were you stationed?"

I stood at ease, waiting for the command, but I decided to indulge in the Sergeant's small talk, if only to win some allies. I wasn't fooling myself, however. These men were competitors, not friends. Only the best could get into the Imperial Firebenders, and I would be damned if I didn't get in so I could avenge my fallen comrades.

"Ba Sing Se. Full Tour. I was in Prince Lu Ten's regiment."

The man looked impressed, and as he didn't offer his own station, I assumed that the man felt guilty to some extent; he had probably been assigned to a garrison spot.

"Atten- Hut!" bellowed Sergeant Ueno.

We snapped to attention, and my heart began pounding as the form of a man in the Fire Lord's robes appeared.

Firelord Ozai sauntered up to the line of five recruits and he walked down the line, eyeing us like fresh kills. I recognized his face from the propaganda posters, but his eyes exuded cruelty and indifference, and I had to suppress a shudder.

He stopped in front of a tall, gangly man who had a scruffy beard.

"What is your name, soldier?"

"Private Tamura, your highness!" he shouted, bowing stiffly.

The Firelord moved on, stopping by the squat, built man with jagged black sideburns next to Mori.

"Name?"

"Corporal Yamada, your highness!" he shouted, also bowing.

"Where was your last assignment, soldier?"

"The Pouhai Stronghold, sir!"

The Firelord nodded and stopped in front of me. My heart was pounding, and it took great effort to stand rock-still in front of Ozai's penetrating glare.

"Name?"

"Corporal Qin Lee, your highness!"

"Last assignment?"

"Ba Sing Se, your highness!"

Ozai looked interested.

"What unit?"

"The 122nd Regiment, sir!"

"Ahh, the lost prince's regiment. Tell me, soldier, what do you feel about the First Army's disgraceful defeat?"

I hesitated, knowing what he wanted me to say. My loyalty to the Prince and General Iroh was great, but I knew that one wrong move would either leave me dead or out of the running, at least.

"I think it is a disgrace that we retreated, your highness. However, I only retreated because our commander ordered it so."

The Firelord gazed at me, silent.

"You are right, soldier. My brother is a disgraceful coward, and it is a disgrace that you retreated. At least you followed orders, _cowardly_ they might have been. I only hope that you will not show the same cowardice, Corporal."

He walked away and I exhaled slightly relieved. Ozai stood in front of us, and raised his voice.

"You are all here because you are the best Firebenders our Great Military has to offer. The next month will weed out the _cowards_ from the men. After all, you will eventually be entrusted with the safety of the Royal Family, and we cannot give _weaklings_ the opportunity to fail our very nation. I trust that Sergeant Ueno and Colonel Oda will weed out the bad crop and give me the very best ones."

With that, he turned around briskly and walked back to the palace, leaving us in stunned surprise.

"Alright, Initiates. Give me thirty laps of the Palace before you report to the Imperial Barracks. Last one to arrive gets cut."

With that, we sprinted off, running with the fear of failure and the fear of our officers behind us.

* * *

Corporal Ando, a lanky man with a thin beard, arrived last and was forced to walk back to the docks in shame. The First Initiate had been cut.

We found our way to the tall, ornate building that was the Imperial Barracks, out of breath and panting. On the porch of the building, a few Imperial Firebenders, iconic in their crimson uniforms, lounged around, watching us struggle in with bemused expressions on their faces.

Laughing to each other, they beckoned us over.

"You guys the new initiates?"

"Yes, sir."

"Initiate quarters are down the hall," said a man with dark brown sideburns.

We struggled inside, panting and exhausted from the run, but the man stopped me.

"You're the guy from Ba Sing Se, right?"

"Yeah."

"I remember you. You were a good fighter, from what I saw. The rest of the initiates are from garrisons, right?"

"As far as I know, sir."

The man nodded, as if he were satisfied.

"I'm Corporal Masao. Its nice meeting you; good luck."

I thanked him and struggled into the Initiate Barracks and collapsed on my bunk, depositing my belongings to the side of my bed. The other three did the same, and we went to sleep immediately, exhausted more than anything else.

* * *

**In the next chapter, Qin Lee trains to become a fully fledged Imperial Firebender and makes some new friends. Will he complete his training? Will he outwit his competition? Will he be able to overcome the badge of dishonor that _is_ the Siege of Ba Sing Se? Tune in next time to find out!**

**Thanks for reading guys. We've survived the first wave of leaks, and the anticipation for Season 3 is building up... I can hardly wait. **

**-IGdude117**


	13. Chapter 13: Agni Kai

95 AG- Late Spring

I used to look back at Basic Training whilst I was in the trenches and reflect on how much easier training was back in the day. Of course, that was easy to say when the threat of death hung over you and you were stuck in a muddy trench facing certain death every day. Of course Basic Training seems easier.

Needless to say, that was not the case with Imperial Firebender Training.

Each day was a grueling battle against our own wills and the cruel tendencies of our superiors. Sergeant Ueno was the Master of Recruits, so he oversaw our training most of the time, but we occasionally had other instructors.

We would be woken by the bellowing of friendly Sergeant Ueno around 1:00 in the morning, at which point we would be subjected to a grueling session of calisthenics and exercises. If the sergeant was feeling nice, we could expect twenty laps around the perimeter walls as well as intense stretching sessions, as well as press-ups, and fire fists.

Then, after an hour of exercise, we would launch into firebending exercises, where Ueno would pair the four of us against each other in endless sparring matches. These exhausting Agni Kai-like matches would continue on for hours on end, until roughly midday, where we would get a brief, thirty minute long break to relax.

The last remaining recruits spent these lunch breaks getting to know each other, and I have fond memories of getting to know my competitors well. Sergeant Mori, the tanned man with the brown hair, became a close personal friend after we discovered that we had both been friends with Hiro. Mori, the son of a nobleman, had gone to Academy with Hiro, and the two had been friends during school. Subsequently, Mori and I talked a lot about Hiro and life in general.

Corporal Yamada, the squat, muscular man with the jagged black sideburns was an interesting character. As his general demeanor indicated, he had very little humor or even kindness, but was rather a straightforward, blunt man. He had been assigned to the Pouhai Stronghold for a year now, after having rotated off the Western Campaigns. He was a skilled firebender, and had mastered almost all of the advanced forms, but lacked imagination. However, I respected his unswerving sense of duty; it reminded me of Prince Lu Ten.

Private Tamura, the thin, gangly man with a scruffy beard was, despite his goofy exterior, a focused and intense firebender. The man was a natural of sorts, having mastered more sets than Yamada. However, his penchant for getting drunk commonly was the reason for his current rank. Sometimes the others and I wondered how a drunkard got into the running, but when we faced him in our sparring matches, we saw why.

After our lunch break, we were introduced to hours of classroom and practical instruction. For two hours after lunch, we were treated to advanced firebending classes, taught by some of the veterans in the organization. We would huddle around "The Arena", or the small outdoor auditorium a few blocks away from the Palace, watching the men show off advanced firebending moves. Afterwards, we would practice the prescribed moves while veterans passed through, critiquing and fixing our moves.

* * *

After Firebending instruction, we got an hour of free practice, where we could hone our already existing skills in the Palace Training grounds. Usually, I would stick with a few of the other recruits, usually Mori or Tamura, and we would compare our moves and practice the ones we already knew. Sometimes, we experimented, fusing different moves together to make a new one.

As soon as our free training period was over, we were shunted to a plethora of classroom lectures involving a myriad of different topics. Some days we would learn advanced military tactics, and others we would learn about formal etiquette. Most days we would learn about what being a Palace Guard meant, and the different layouts of the Palace itself and the protocol for guarding the Royal Family.

Sometimes, the trainers would take us into the Palace itself to get familiar with the layout. It was on one such occasion that I 'met' Prince Zuko and his sister for the first time.

* * *

We were following Colonel Oda around the ground floor dining rooms when I caught sight of two children following us from a distance. I couldn't hear them, of course, but I had somehow managed to pick up the ability to read lips.

"Who are _they_?" asked the young, 12 year old Prince Zuko to his younger sister.

Princess Azula rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"They're the Imperial Firebender Initiates, stupid. They're training to join the Royal Guard."

"They look kinda scary."

"Of _course_ they do, Zuzu. They're training for the _Imperial Firebenders_. Father wouldn't have chosen them if they weren't scary."

This was only one isolated incident, of course, but the rare glimpses we got of the Royal Family piqued my interest. I had met Iroh and his son, of course, but seeing the Royal Family while they were in power was an experience I wasn't quite used to.

* * *

We trained like this for month after month. None of us knew when final selections would take place, and we all grew exhausted and tired of the intense training day after day.

Very soon, it was the New Year again, and we came to the realization that we had been training for a full year. For me, it was startling beyond measure. In fact, a year ago I had been trying to survive in a snowy, muddy trench, and now I was breaking my back trying to join the prestigious Imperial Firebenders.

Time flies, I suppose.

I began to grow very homesick. We were allowed no personal correspondence, of course, and all contact with the outside world had been cut. My heart, however, ached to see my hometown again, and I could see that my comrades were similarly homesick.

This time of year, during the New Year, the people of Varron put out their National Flags and prayed to their spirits for good fortune in the coming years. The merchant families often had a communal feast, and performers, firebenders, and the fireworks graced the city as it celebrated the New Year.

All the families also visited the graves of their lost ones, and gave offerings to the spirits for their deceased's good fortune. They also honored war veterans at the same time, praying to the spirits for good fortunes in the War and the safe return of all soldiers.

* * *

We trained for a few more months until the snows began to melt again and the weather outside became favorable. We woke up one morning to see Sergeant Ueno standing in the front of the room, crossed armed. We suddenly realized that it was 10 in the morning; somehow, we had all overslept. We snapped to attention from our bunks, anticipating punishment of some kind for our failures.

"Today, recruits, is the day you shall find out if your training has paid off. Today will be the final day of Imperial Training for three of you. One of you shall ascend to our ranks, and the others shall return in disgrace. Your final test is this; we shall have three Agni Kais today. The first two will be between Corporal Lee and Private Tamura, and Sergeant Mori as well as Corporal Yamada. The victors of these two Agni Kais will face each other in front of a panel including the Firelord Himself. The victor of that final Agni Kai will be promoted to the Imperial Firebenders. Report to the Arena in thirty minutes."

He swirled around briskly, leaving us in the dust. We were silent for a moment, then groans of defeat resounded from around the room.

"I'm done for," whispered Mori. "I'm no match for Yamada."

"You'll be fine, Mori. You're a fine Firebender. Yamada lacks imagination; just use one of the made up moves against him."

"Then what? I'll either have to face you or Tamura, and both of you are practically masters."

"Me? I'm not a master, Mori. I just get lucky," with complete honesty. That's what got me through Ba Sing Se; luck. Nothing else.

Mori looked at me skeptically.

"You're the only one of us that has used firebending in battle recently, and you've mastered almost all of the Advanced Sets. Colonel Oda said it himself in firebending practice; you're almost to the point where you can start learning the Master sets."

I remained silent, conflicted. All these men were, in some way, brothers. We had gotten to know each other during training, and I hesitated to send any of them in disgrace. This was what I had hoped to avoid, but it was still hard. I looked across the room at Tamura, who smiled faintly and bowed his head.

* * *

The Arena was desolate, empty. Four torches burned brightly, marking out the playing field. In the arena's seats, sat a collection of Imperial Firebenders, including Colonel Oda, who sat with a book and quill, watching the proceedings. Mori and Yamada were the first to go. Ueno spoke quickly to each of them, then stood to the middle. Both men went to their prospective sides of the field and stripped their vests off, leaving their torsos exposed. Then, Ueno barked a command, and both turned and faced each other, settling into firebending poses.

Then, they leapt into action.

Yamada made the first move, lunging forward, throwing a selection of fireballs at Mori, who sidestepped them, responding with several high kicks that sent slices of fire towards Yamada. Grunting, Yamada diffused them with sweeps of his arms. Then, he flipped to the side, avoiding a wave of fire that Mori had sent towards him, responding with a few more fireballs.

The battle wore on, and neither man tired or gave up. The final blow came when Mori, who attempted to send a rippling tidal wave of fire towards his opponent, had a misstep and slipped slightly. Yamada noticed it immediately, and bent a blast towards Mori's leg. Mori, who was already slipping took the full brunt of the blat in his shin, and he fell to the ground with an agonizing scream.

By then, my heart was already pounding, and I ran through my moves in my head, trying to calm my breathing.

"Corporal Yamada wins the Agni Kai," shouted Ueno. "Next duel."

I walked to my side and slipped my vest off, crouching down and looking away from Tamura, our backs facing each other. I could hear Ueno talking to Tamura, and at length, Ueno walked over to me.

"You ready?"

"Yes, sir."

"Remember, break his stance. You're a veteran. Use your resourcefulness and exploit your enemy's weakness. For the record, Corporal, I'm rooting for you. May the spirits favor you."

My heart began beating faster, and I slowly wrangled my breathing back down, taking deep, full breaths. I could feel the energy coursing through my body, and I quickly reviewed the Hundred Basic Moves in my head.

"Positions!"

I stood and faced Tamura, setting my legs far apart and extending my fists close to my body. I stared at Tamura, reviewing what I knew about him quickly in my head.

Tamura, despite his humor, was an intense bender and rarely messed up any moves. He was unique in that he used a wide variety of moves, but was relatively predictable. I, on the other hand, had the same set of moves. I knew, however, that the key to my victory would be to break Tamura's stance and exploit any weakness.

I knew that he would wait for me to make the first move, and that he was very patient, so I decided to make the first one.

Roaring in anger, letting my hate towards the Earth Kingdom and my passion to win this damn thing, I swung my leg diagonally in a swiping motion, releasing a wave of fire that sliced towards Tamura. Leaping into action, Tamura ducked under the wave, responding with a large fireball. Setting my stance, I dispelled the fire with my forearms, feeling the warmth of the flames wash over me. We circled each other for a few seconds, and I then launched myself in the air with both feet and spun myself towards Tamura, letting loose a pillar of flames that arced towards him. He grunted, crossing his forearms and deflecting the blow, but I had already seen his mistake.

In trying to dispel my blast, he had forgotten his lessons in maintaining his stance. Undoubtedly, his adrenaline rush, along with the possibility of being sent home in disgrace, muddled his senses, and he stepped an inch too far to the right.

An inch was all I needed.

Roaring in anger, as soon as I landed I swept my arms from the ground to my left side diagonally, releasing a wave of fire from the ground beneath his feet, singing his foot and knocking him off balance.

There was a moment of disbelief as he looked at me in fear, regret, and anger as he stumbled backwards. Then, shouting in anger, I kicked viciously in his direction, sending a blast of fire squarely in the center of his chest, propelling him backwards several feet.

There was a shocked silence, and I realized that it had only been a two minute battle, as compared to the ten minute duel between Mori and Yamada.

"Corporal Lee wins the Agni Kai. The next duel begins when the Firelord arrives."

The sitting watchers stood, talking amongst themselves, and I walked over to where Tamura was, my chest heaving. He was simply lying there, staring at the sky.

"Come to gloat?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

I offered my hand and he took it reluctantly, and I pulled him up.

"Hardly. You did well. Sorry it had to come to this."

He sighed dejectedly, and a tear ran from his eye.

"I realized my mistake as soon as it happened. I knew you'd take advantage of that. I guess I'm not cut out for this."

I clasped him on the shoulder.

"You did well, Tamura. May you live on in peace."

He sighed again, wiping his eyes with his arm.

"Good luck, Qin Lee. Yamada's probably feeling a bit arrogant right about now. Use that. That's what you're good at, after all. You see our mistakes and exploit them. You'll win; I'm sure of it."

"Tell Mori I said thank you and good luck, would you?"

He bowed, forming the flame shape with his fist and hand. I bowed back, earnestly, and he walked away.

I walked to my end of the field and looked across it at Yamada, who was staring at me with hostility, no doubt sizing me up. I smiled slightly and sat on the field cross legged, and got my breathing under control, meditating.

My heartbeat slowed, and my breathing became normal as I ran through my moves once more. Then, I opened my eyes, and the Firelord and his children were just exiting a palanquin, walking towards the arena steps. Immediately, remembering my lessons on protocol, I bowed deeply, falling to my knee. Across the field, Yamada was doing the same.

"Well _I _think the muscled guy on the left will win," whispered Princess Azula, referring to Yamada.

Ozai shushed them, and sat next to Colonel Oda. Sergeant Ueno gestured for us to kneel in the ceremonial way, and began speaking.

"Honored Guests, Firelord Ozai, Princess Azula, and Prince Zuko. This is the Final Agni Kai between our initiates. Two duels have already taken place, and the two men you see before you are the two victors. On the right side of the field is Corporal Yamada; Seasoned veteran of the Western Earth Kingdom Campaign, and participant in no less than seven colossal battles that gave our Nation the upper hand in the War. On the left side of the field is Corporal Qin Lee. The Corporal is a veteran of the Siege of Ba Sing Se, a member of the elite 122nd Firebender Regiment that was led by none other than Prince Lu Ten. Corporal Lee is a seasoned warrior who won't let his defeat at Ba Sing Se keep him in shame."

There was a slight round of applause, and then silence fell over the arena.

"Ready yourselves."

I slowly got to my feet and turned, amusedly seeing Yamada in his form. The man, it seemed, was either excited, nervous, or both. Either way, his speed would mean that he would tire quicker; an advantage to me.

Slowly, I settled into the same form as before. Then, from my left, a gong crashed, signaling the duel's beginning.

A silence settled over the arena as we both sized each other up. Fortunately, however, Yamada made the first move, sending a spinning-kick fire blast towards my head. I grunted with the effort, but dispelled it with by sweeping my arms to the side, and I sent a few firebolts in his direction, moving towards the right. He bellowed in rage and conjured massive whips from his hands, which converged on my position with a roar of flame and heat.

I solidified my position and crossed my forearms, dispelling the whips across my body. Then, I lunged forward, cupping a large fireball in my hands and allowing it to build up. Then, I landed a few feet in front of my last position and released the ball, which sped towards Yamada quickly, but he deflected it deftly.

He sent another few kicks towards me, and I casually sidestepped them, and I saw his chest heaving with effort.

He was trying too hard. I wasn't tired at all.

Then, I backhanded a wave of fire towards him, which he ducked under, and took the precious moments he spent to duck to rush forward into close range. I put all my energy into my punch and sent a fireblast sailing towards his face, which he dispelled.

We went like that for several minutes; kicking, punching, and swiping flames at each other, searching for an opening.

Then, he gave me one.

Yamada yelled in hatred as he sliced his hand horizontally, releasing a blade of fire. Sensing his tiredness, I ducked under the wave and sent a fireblast arcing towards his abdomen. Then, while he dispersed it, I lunged forward and wreathed my fist in flames and punched while his arms were behind him whilst he completed his block and hit him squarely in the abdomen, sending him to the ground, unconscious.

There was a deep silence, and I looked at the unconscious form of Yamada, panting. Then, I turned towards the audience and bowed deeply.

"Corporal Lee wins the Agni Kai."

There was a round of applause from the audience, and Ozai looked at me with mild curiosity. Azula looked angry, as she _had_ bet on my opposition, and Prince Zuko looked slightly pleased.

Then, the applause died down as Ozai stood up.

"Congratulations, initiate. You have proven yourself worthy of the Imperial Firebenders. You have regained your honor from that dishonorable drivel that my brother called a siege. Congratulations."

He and his children stalked away, and Colonel Oda walked up to me, saluting.

"Congratulations, Corporal. You have proven yourself worthy of the honor of joining the Imperial Firebenders. Report to Captain Kimura of the Royal Guard for your next assignment."

I bowed deeply, and Ueno walked up after Oda had left.

"Good job, Corporal. Now the real work begins."

* * *

**In the next chapter, Qin Lee has to earn his place among the Royal Guard and gets acquainted with the Royal Family. A Prince is banished, and the war drags on. Rumors of the Last Airbender begin to emerge, and Qin Lee's path towards witnessing the incredible begins. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-IGdude117**


	14. Chapter 14: To Guard a Prince

They call us the forgotten army. For good reason, of course, but it is an unfortunate situation all the same. We spent so long dealing death and destruction that when peace came, we were lost. Thousands of men, who had excelled, lived life in adrenaline fueled situations came home to a Nation that wasn't quite sure what to do with them. Firelord Zuko, of course, had a virulently anti-war and anti-imperialist standing publicly, but having served with and around the military for many years, he was lenient. Those that had committed crimes were punished, and the rest were given a severance payment and sent home.

It wasn't enough, however. A lot of men in that Army went home as simple husks. You see, when you spend so much time fighting for your survival, you begin to crave it. The danger. You return home and wish, in a perverse, strange way, that you were back there, where the fighting was. It was difficult for many men that excelled in the Army, lived on its regimented rules and its regulations, to return to simple dirt hovels and lives of poverty.

Interestingly, that's why the Fire Nation Army retained over 90% of its wartime strength after peace was declared. Even though there was really nothing to do, they stayed anyways, craving the rules, the entire culture of the Army.

A lot of men went the other way, additionally. Men that had enjoyed the killing, the warfare, and the danger oftentimes remained in the Earth Kingdom and joined up with the many mercenary companies that formed over there. Colonel Mongke's Rough Rhinos retained all its members and transitioned into a mercenary outfit.

After the war, I rejoined the military after having served my sentence. I had gone home for a time, of course, to spend time with my parents, but I was one of those people that secretly thrived on the military. Of course, while I was in the fighting I cursed the military's name every second, but I realized when it came time to choose between civilian life and military life that it was the military life that I craved. So I rejoined in time to command the Domestic Forces for a while during the Yu Dao crisis, and I served abroad briefly on a Fire Nation expeditionary force that helped to put down that Earth Kingdom Civil War a few years later. Then, I was transferred to the United Forces as a military liaison, and I retired at the rank of Colonel in 109 AG. I was briefly recalled to deal with that ugly business in Hekeng, what with the Dai Lee coup and the Fire Nation citizen crisis, but luckily I was given the option to sit that one out, which I did.

I live now with my family in Varron, and I live quite comfortably on my retirement money and managing my father's business.

I connect with other veterans, too. The other day, in fact, I reconnected with Lieutenant Jee who had served on Prince Zuko's ship during his exile. I had met the man during the Siege of the North, of course, but we reconnected and talked about the War and our experiences there.

"I of course used to think he was just a cocky, spoiled arrogant kid," the 80 year old veteran once said to me.

"He has heart, though. He cared. No kid should be put through the experience that he had to go through. I'm glad he found his way. I suppose his Uncle would be the one we should thank."

Interestingly enough, Jee was a fellow veteran of the Siege. He had served in General Kenshin's 28th Firebender Regiment. Those guys had been hit even harder than us during the counterattack; I remember hearing that barely a quarter of the Division made it out of there.

Forgive my ramblings. It's tiring sometimes to remember all the way back to when I was younger, so I like to take _some _breaks to recount the present.

* * *

My transition into the Royal Guard was relatively smooth. I rested from my Agni Kai for a few hours then promptly reported to Captain Kimura. His office was Spartan in nature, devoid of decoration except for a large wooden desk and a shelf full of scrolls. On his wall hung a Fire Nation flag, as well as a full suit of Imperial Firebender armor, complete with the iconic three-horned helm and the famous "third eye" on his helmet.

He looked up as I entered.

"You must be the new recruit."

"Yes, sir."

He carefully selected a scroll and read through it quickly, glancing up at me.

"Corporal Qin Lee from the city of Varron on the Eastern Island of Infernus. Served in Colonel Lu Ten's 122nd Firebender Regiment in the 13th Company through the entirety of the Ba Sing Se Siege. Wounded once, in the side, at the end of the siege by an Earthbender's rock spike. Skilled Firebender, certified in all the Advanced Sets, and recommended by General Iroh himself. That's pretty impressive, Corporal."

I stood at attention, staring forward. The Captain rolled the scroll back up and stood, staring into my eyes.

"Reports from your training place you as an ideal candidate to advance to our ranks. Since you're here, I can only assume you won your final Agni Kais. Well, welcome to the Royal Guard, son."

"Thank you, sir."

"Tell me, Corporal, are you familiar with the mission of the Royal Guard?"

"No, sir."

"It is to protect the wellbeing and lives of every member of the Royal Family, and, if need be, those that are vital to the power of this government or those mandated by the Firelord. Our allegiances are to the Firelord and the Firelord only. Any oaths, loyalties, or attachments that you had before stay at the door of this palace. Joining the Royal Guard means you, your body, and your very soul are at the beck and call of the Royal Family. Should you have to lay your life down for one, you will do so without hesitation or second thought. Should your firelord order you to carry out an action, you will carry it out without hesitation. For that is your duty. Is that understood, Corporal?"

"Yes, sir."

"You will be allowed one letter to anyone every year, and those letters will be read through and checked thoroughly by censors and can be discarded or confiscated at their discretion. Is that clear?"

"Sir, yes sir."

"You will be assigned to the protection detail of one or more members of the Royal Family. Once there, anything that that person asks of you, whether it be to serve them food or kill yourself, you will obey without question. Failure to do so will mean summary execution. Is that clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Your experiences here and anything you overhear will _not_ be repeated anywhere for the rest of your life unless ordered to otherwise by a member of the Imperial Firebenders or the Royal Family. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

The Captain straightened, and bowed deeply. I responded in kind.

"Welcome to the Royal Guard, Corporal. Report to the Royal Guard Barracks block B. Report to Sergeant Fujita; you're being assigned to Prince Zuko's detail. Your profile shows promise, Corporal. For that reason, and your distinguished military service, I will maintain your rank of Corporal, which is the rank of every Imperial Firebender that is not an officer. Dismissed."

I saluted smartly and left.

The Imperial Firebender Barracks is a separate offshoot of the Royal Palace. It is a squat but long building that has two floors. I entered the Barracks, dodging past the imposing forms of fully armored Imperial Firebenders and found the barracks I was assigned to. Carefully, I entered the room and was greeted by nine men who were waiting for me.

A tall, well built man with a long, gray beard smiled broadly and bowed to me.

"Corporal Lee, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"My name is Sergeant Fujita. Welcome to the Second Squad, or the Prince's Detail. Listen up; you have a lot to learn."

* * *

Surprisingly enough, being a member of the protection detail was a relatively peaceful job. Once I had received my armor, I simply joined the others in my squad, and we stood guard for long periods of time over the Prince's quarters. To them, of course, we were faceless guards with threatening helmets, but it often interested me to see how these people functioned.

We would spend the majority of the night in select positions around the living quarters of the Palace, where the Prince and Princess were sleeping. We and Third Squad, or Princess Azula's detail would lounge around the hallways. At all times, two men flanked each doorway, while other men covered the stairs, the windows, and every possible entrance an intruder could enter from. The outside was protected by the Palace Garrison made up of normal troops, but any intruder seeking entry would have to run a gauntlet of over 20 master firebenders.

Despite the Captain's words earlier, guard duty was relatively relaxed. We were on guard, of course, but we often chatted and talked through the long hours of the night. I, being the newest member, was often put on stairway duty; me and a few of the others from both Princess Azula's detail and Firelord Ozai's detail would secure the stairway and the main entrance thoroughly. We would often softly chat during the night hours as we were safely out of hearing range of anyone, and we never got reprimanded, so we talked.

I got to know my squadmates decently well, but there was always an aspect of coldness to my comrades. We were not here to die for each other, like in the normal military. We were here to die for the Royal Family. So there was always that element of professionalism and formality among the others. I did befriend a man by the name of Corporal Kubo, who had previously been the resident "new guy" until I came along.

"You know about the tattoo, right?" he asked me one night. The Imperial Firebender robes were surprisingly lighter and more flexible than normal firebender armor, and the helmet, while restrictive, offered greater vision and movement. It did get hot, however, and Kubo was walking up to me as I stood over the stair railings, watching over the cavernous main entrance room, my arms crossed casually.

"You mean the sparring match with Oda?"

"Yeah. It's a formality, of course, and he hasn't actually killed anyone for a few years, but you won't be counted as one of us until you survive it."

"How do I go about doing it? I doubt that I just walk up and ask him?"

"Ask him on your break. Tell him you'd be honored to assist him in sparring practice, and he'll accept. Cold he may be, he knows the traditions well enough; I think he may even get a kick out of it."

"How many has he killed, again?"

"Only twenty seven. Guy before him killed fifty two."

"I just hope I don't end up as twenty eight."

Kubo chuckled and slapped my back amicably, walking away, back on his patrol route.

* * *

When we weren't guarding his room, we were following him around the palace. We were ordered to keep a distance, of course, and it was during the day that most of the squad got a break. During the daytime, five men followed Zuko around at a distance, keeping him within eye distance at all times and never leaving his general vicinity.

We were under orders to not talk to the Royals unless spoken to, and Zuko was actually somewhat shy towards us. Occasionally, he would try to talk to us, but our fear of Oda's opinion and the Firelord's wrath made us sparse on conversation. When one five man team was with him, the others would rest until the second half of the day, when the two would switch.

Zuko's schedule became very familiar to me, and I can even remember it to this day; he was given relatively free reign to do as he pleased, but he did have several hours of firebending instruction in the morning, followed by private tutoring on military tactics, history, mathematics, and other courses. Every time his teachers came, we would search their belongings and ensure they weren't benders. We got very familiar with the Prince's tutors as a result. One man, a professor named Uchida from the Royal Academy, sometimes shared drinks with us when we would have the opportunity to relax. Every few weeks, we were allowed to leave the palace, and we usually hit the city, frequenting taverns, cafes, and other restaurant-type businesses. Food in the Royal Palace was exquisite, to say the least, but alcohol was woefully absent, so we would often get drunk on _Kasao_, rest up for a night, and return to the palace to be searched again and given further instruction.

A lot of people ask me about stories from my days guarding the Prince, and to be honest I never remember any. His life was uneventful, as was ours consequentially, so I never had many stories.

I do, however, remember bits and pieces of guarding the Palace. I remember getting used to the Palace over the two years I spent guarding its halls; the ornate hallways, the ever-present colors of red and black, and the many nooks and crannies all across the Palace. I remember that the Royal Gardens was the most beautiful place I've ever seen, and I suppose we have Firelady Ursa to thank for that. I'd often stand guard over the Prince several yards away while he sat at the large pond and fed turtle ducks, and I remember pitying him for having lost his mother.

Having spent so much time guarding the boy, however, made us feel sorry for him. Collectively, we never talked about Firelord Ozai's cruel treatment towards his son or his sister's cruel behavior, but we all reserved judgement. Of course, we _never_ talked about it, as we were conditioned to follow orders expressively, but we felt a certain responsibility for the boy. After all, by the time he was banished, it had been a year, and a year being in such close vicinity to a person has its aftereffects.

On a side note, I did see General Iroh again. The old man looked a lot older than he had before. It had been only three years, of course, but the guy looked a lot more tired and a lot wiser. I considered going up to him, but I knew that it would have been both a breach of etiquette and a cruel reminder of his lost son. So I spared him that much; I owed him that, at least.

I was there when Prince Zuko stood up in the meeting. I was in the back of the room, by the curtained entrance, dressed in my formal uniform. The uniform helps, actually, as my facial expression is completely hidden, so anything that registers on my face does nothing to change the stony, intimidating exterior. And that helped a lot, considering General Bujing was there. General Bujing had commanded the 32nd Division, the one I had been in. We all hated "Old Man Bloody", as we called him, because he often threw regiments into the assault blindly for no purpose whatsoever. A lot of good men, good soldiers perished on those muddy battlefields when we sallied forth from the trenches to attack the oncoming Earth Kingdom forces. More than one from our squad perished in the offensives. Seeing him here was a stroke of bad luck.

Old Man Bloody had, in fact, just gotten finished throwing a recruit division into battle when the Prince protested. The Kid was in over his head, of course, but I suppose _someone_ should have told Bujing he was being a stupid rattle-ox. You should've seen the look on Old Bloody's face; he was outraged. Unfortunately, so was Firelord Ozai. When the prince accepted the Agni Kai, I had to resist sharing a glance with Corporal Okamo, the guy who was with me on guard duty. Somehow, the kid had misunderstood.

We were all worried for him, of course; how could you not? Even though we ultimately owed our allegiances to the Firelord, we had grown attached to Prince Zuko. Some of the men had been with him for years. We showed up to the Agni Kai arena in full battle dress. We and the other Imperial Firebenders lined the arena. I knew it looked intimidating from my end, the unbroken line of crimson that ringed the arena. Most of the audience were military officers.

When the Prince stood only to see his father... his reaction, his fear, his regret, and the shock of what he had done set in on that kid so fast. I pitied him a whole lot then, when he knelt in front of his father and pleaded for forgiveness in front of the entire High Command. Didn't stop his father. He bent a single fireblast directly into his son's face. I caught a glimpse of him afterwards; the side of his face had been burnt raw, with blackened, charred, and blistering skin.

No kid deserves that kind of treatment. And not only that, but he was banished from the realm until he found the Avatar, of all things. Three generations had tried and failed to find the Avatar, and Ozai expected him to find the Avatar after a century of probable death. What's truly cruel is the possibility that his father never meant for him to find the Avatar.

Obviously, as he had been exiled, an entire squad was out of a job, so we were reallocated into the different squads. I myself was reassigned to the Firelord's Fist Unit, the special operations arm of the Imperial Firebenders. I was assigned to Sergeant Abe's First Squad. Rumor had it that we were going to the Earth Kingdom soon, and I was, despite the drama of the last few weeks, excited to get back into combat. But first, I had to get that damn tattoo...

* * *

**In the next chapter, the gears start turning and the stage is set. Our protagonist is thrown under the command of the power hungry Commander Zhao, and, as the year 99 AG quickly approaches, the two most eventful years of Qin Lee's life fast approaches. **

**Sorry for the wait, by the way. I went into Chicago the other day to watch the Sox game, and it was fun, but I'm glad to be back here doing what I do best. As usual, thanks for reading and make sure to leave any constructive criticism you can think of, and I'll see if I can fix it. **

**Cheers,**

**IGdude117**


	15. Chapter 15: On Obedience

98 AG- Southwestern Earth Kingdom

Nandao Harbor, located on a secluded island off the coast of the southwestern Earth Kingdom, had only recently come under the control of the Fire Nation. After a grueling campaign against the Earth Kingdom troops that garrisoned the dual islands of Beizhu and Lizhang, The Fire Navy had gained naval superiority over the entirety of the Southwestern Earth Kingdom, and gained the ability to launch raids and assaults on the cities of Gaoling, Chin Village, and the many other towns and hamlets in and around the southwestern Earth Kingdom.

It had been during this campaign, in fact that formerly Lieutenant Zhao, the cruel man we had met outside of Ba Sing Se a few years ago, became a Commander and was given complete control over Naval operations in the area.

Zhao, curiously, had been born a nobleman's son, and had become a good friend to a young Prince Ozai. The two had undergone training together, and they had, as a result, become good friends. Undoubtedly the primal urge for cruelty and callousness brought them together.

As a result, however, Ozai gave a high amount of respect to Zhao, and subsequently, the young Commander oversaw all Fire Nation activities in the Southwestern Theater.

* * *

I arrived in the harbor alongside my new squadmates with my tattoo freshly gracing my shoulder. I did get a chance to serve as Colonel Oda's sparring partner, and I had formally been recognized as a member of the group for the first time.

I know that many of you want the same details that I could remember about my other two Agni Kais, but truth be told, the memories of my sparring match are faint at best. I apologize to those of you that are disappointed by this, but I generally blocked this section of my life from my memory until I began writing my book.

You see, this was a time in my life that I did terrible things. Having joined the Imperial Firebenders, I immediately began to adapt to the indoctrination that they drilled into us from day one of our Imperial Firebender Training. We swore oaths to the Firelord, and we were bound to them by blood and honor.

Of course, I did not agree with many of things I would be doing, but fear or reprisal and my sense of duty and honor kept me in check. For without honor, how can we call ourselves the sons and daughters of the Fire Nation?

Forgive my rambling. Old timers like me tend to get off topic.

What I do remember from the match is barely escaping getting burned alive. I remember that the rest of my squad, not to mention a lot of the other Imperial Firebenders, had gathered around the sparring area to watch. I remember barely holding my own against Oda, who was a legendary Firebender. I did get burned quite badly in my left arm, but the healers managed to save it.

By surviving the sparring match, however, I was allowed to get my tattoo. Oda even came up to me after burning me and offered me his hand.

"I don't normally abide by traditions, but welcome to the Imperial Firebenders. Formally. You are one of us now."

* * *

The tattoo is quite beautiful, truth be told. The Fire Nation emblem, with two eagle wings stretching across the shoulder muscle. Inside the Fire Nation emblem is a representation of the Imperial Firebender Helmet, with its three horned, three eyed face staring out from the center of the shoulder. Inscribed beneath it are four words:

_Honor. Duty. Sacrifice. Obedience. _

Those four words are the tenets of the Imperial Firebenders. Every member has to get a tattoo in order to be counted as a Brother.

So, having earned mine, I was carried by my new squadmates to the tattoo shop and given the tattoo. Then, we departed from the Capital City and embarked on our ships bound for Nandao Harbor.

* * *

You may be asking why were to be assigned to Commander Zhao on some isolated islands to the south of the Earth Kingdom. The immediate goal was to create chaos and confusion amongst the remaining Earth Kingdom territories, but the ultimate goal was, of course, the City of Omashu.

Why Omashu? Well, the plan was given to us on our final mission briefing with Colonel Oda.

"Omashu," the Colonel said, tapping the location on the giant map of the Earth Kingdom, "Is strategically vital to our victory in this war. When we take the city, as our brothers in the Third Army are making preparations to do, we gain complete control over the entire Southwestern Earth Kingdom. Besides that, there is the system of fortifications known as the Dazhai Wall, but those can easily be circumnavigated by taking the City. By taking Omashu, we control the Si Wong Desert and the Southern territories, and we can then take Full Moon and Chameleon Bay, at which point we will control the Southwestern portion of the surrounding areas around Ba Sing Se."

My heart, at that point, wrenched with the mention of the great city. I had made it a point to forget about that damned place, but now I was being told that a second siege would be launched. How many men would die? How many days would it take this time?

Oda caught my eye and winked.

"Those of you that participated in the Siege previously knows that the combined bombardment of several regiments of artillery, over five hundred heavy catapult total, took around two years of constant bombardment to break through the walls. Luckily, Fire Nation engineers are laboring now to create a new weapon, one made completely of metal that crawls on its own, to bore through the walls and create an opening. Essentially, it's a giant drill."

There were murmurs of astonishment amongst the gathered Firebenders as this information processed. Privately, I had deep reservations about a stupid drill doing what tens of thousands of good men couldn't, but it he did have a measure of faith in Fire Nation engineering. After all, it had been the Fire Nation's technological superiority that had given us the edge in the War so far.

"At that point, we will effectively have the entirety of the Earth Kingdom under our control and the war will be effectively over. Luckily for us, our ancestors took care of the Air Nations for us, and the Southern Water tribe has already been rendered impotent. We will then only have the Northern Water Tribe standing between us and victory. And if we can break through the walls of Ba Sing Se, then some igloos and a wall won't be able to stop us."

The gathered men cheered raucously. Colonel Oda then congratulated us on performing admirably for the past year, and we were all sent on our ways.

* * *

We exited the massive ship after a relatively brief four day journey to set our eyes on Nandao Harbor. Interestingly enough, the place had literally _just_ been taken by the Fire Nation, and the remnants of the campaign were still here. To our left, past the sea of ragged tents and guard posts was a sizable cemetery where we could dimly see piles of bodies being dropped unceremoniously into large pits.

The men who stood guard, relaxed by campfires, and practiced their forms were grizzled, weathered, and battle damaged, but we drew eyes as we stepped foot off the ship. Although we had unfortunately been made to leave our Imperial Firebender armor behind for the sake of blending in, we were given armor that proudly showed the ornate, inlaid emblem of the Imperial Firebenders. The insignia, a stiff, stylized trident design was famous; every propaganda poster that showed us had it emblazoned all over.

From a large, ornate tent, a group of officers were waiting for us. In the front, was the familiar, cruel face of Commander Zhao. Luckily, as I had my old regular firebender helmet on, he didn't recognize me; I had no doubt that any association with the failure in Ba Sing Se would antagonize the man towards me- something I did not need right now. The man looked slightly older, but a lot more potent and cunning. That damnable smirk was plastered on his face as we smartly shouldered our packs and stood at attention.

"Welcome to the Harbor of Nandao, Sergeant Abe. I am honored to welcome the illustrious Imperial Firebenders to my humble abode."

We stood stiffly silent, not moving a muscle, in a perfect line. Zhao smiled and walked down the line, eyeing each of us in turn. He paused in front of me, and I was momentarily afraid that he had recognized me, but he moved on, undeterred.

"You are here today, Imperial Firebenders, because you are the best of the best. You are the chosen elite of the Fire Army and Navy, and you are all masters in the art of firebending and warfare. As you know, these two islands are the sole centers of Fire Nation control in an otherwise hostile area. The entirety of the Southern Earth Kingdom is firmly under _enemy_ control, and we only have a tenuous grasp on the seas."

He paused. The line of disgruntled Colonels and Generals that led their divisions and regiments glared at the upstart Commander, no doubt cursing the fact that they were bound by honor to the Firelord and duty to submit to their subordinate's authority. In effect, Zhao was a high general of sorts. Traditional military ranking systems held his formal rank back, but he was for all intents and purposes a high commander.

"Your job for the next few years here will be to cause havoc and destruction in the Southern Earth Kingdom. Each mission will be specifically engineered to provoke the largest response and the highest amount of hysteria in the local populace. Your missions will vary. You may be asked to attack civilians. You may be asked to hold villagers hostage. You may be ordered to take _no prisoners._ You may not agree with or support these objectives, but you will obey because it is both your duty, and also because if you refuse, I will personally send your rotten carcass back to the Capital City. Is that clear?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"My associates will brief Sergeant Abe with each mission's specifics, and they may vary wildly in method and purpose, but you will obey without question. Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"For all intents and purposes, you men are under my beck and call until such a time as you are recalled for a better purpose. You men are the finest our glorious Nation has produced, and I expect nothing less than complete success and infallible loyalty from all of you. Is that understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"Good. Colonel Maro will show you to your tents. Your first mission will be tomorrow, at 1300 hours. Dismissed."

Stiffly and smartly, we shouldered our kit bags again and filed away in perfect step and formation, following a wizened colonel who didn't looked pleased at all to be debased to such administrative work.

* * *

We arrived at our tent section, and each of us picked a tent. Inside, each one had a single cot, a large trunk, and even a writing desk. Gratefully, we all settled in quickly, filling our chests with our equipment. Then, Sergeant Abe called us out, and we gathered around the campfire.

"Men, you may be called upon to do things you won't like."

Corporal Shuen, a psychotic madman with a war crimes list a mile long, rubbed his hands gleefully and grinned with bloodlust.

"But it is our duty as Imperial Firebenders to follow our orders to the letter, without second thought."

Corporal Kaito, Abe's second in command, crossed his arms with a stern look, his jagged facial hair casting deep shadows on his face. Kaito, a dedicated, faceless soldier that did what he was asked and was slightly fanatical towards the Fire Nation, looked slightly pleased at Abe's clarification.

"All of you are hardened veterans, and this is the first time for an entire year that we'll be heading into combat."

Corporal Iwasa, a frequently drunk, egotistical man, puffed out his chest slightly as he listened to Abe's speech.

"This is also the first time we will be joined by Corporal Lee. Lee has proven himself worthy of the Mark, and I hope he will distinguish himself in combat."

There was a polite round of applause. Corporal Hide, whom everyone called "The Old Man," being 39 years old, slapped me on the back jovially, smiling slightly.

"We will come across hard times, but it is important that we always keep the tenets of the Imperial Firebenders in mind."

Corporal Kayo, a sociopathic, emotionless man that once served in the famous Southern Raiders, made no facial expression and stood in complete silence, staring blankly at his sergeant.

"Honor."

Corporal Koichi, a humorous, optimistic man who loved to play cards, smiled proudly from across me.

"Duty."

I shifted slightly, thinking of my lost friends, of Fujiko, of Aoki, and of the many other veterans I had left behind in the Firebender Corps and the Siege of Ba Sing Se. The image of Prince Lu Ten hoisting a Fire Nation banner from the battlefield came to mind, and I found myself being slightly inspired.

"Sacrifice."

Corporal Matsui, a younger man whose father, it had been rumored, had pulled strings to get him into the Imperial Firebenders, shifted uncomfortably.

"Obedience."

Corporal Koba, a devoted man who hated the so-called "Inferior Nations" with a passion, was the first to begin clapping.

We gave Abe a massive round of applause. Abe congratulated us again on a great year of service, welcomed me once again into the squad, and dismissed us.

"I expect we'll be doing some heavy lifting tomorrow, so get your rest."

I spent the rest of the night in my cot, listening to the faint laughter and conversation of the other soldiers in the Harbor and I pondered my current situation. The thought of committing war crimes made me uncomfortable, but I came to the realization that obedience was the only way. To resist was madness, and only one man had survived defying the Fire Nation Military, and that was Jeong Jeong the Deserter.

I'm no Jeong Jeong, I thought to myself, and I fell asleep quickly, uncertainty and nervousness giving way to simple exhaustion.

* * *

**I'm sorry for the longer than usual wait, guys. I must say I'm not _as_ proud of this one as I usually am, but I've been trying to rework this for a while and I honestly can't improve it that much. I have a lot of ideas for what to do during the show's timeline for Qin Lee, but for the filler time between now and 99AG, I'm not too sure. Oh well, I'll figure something out. **

**Next episode, our protagonist is forced to witness horrific events and carries out a guerrilla campaign in enemy soil. Will Qin Lee's sense of right and wrong prevail over the sense of duty and the oppressive Commander Zhao? Find out next time. **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing, you guys are great. **

**Adios, **

**IGdude117**


	16. Chapter 16: Ruminations on Inner Demons

Winter, 98 AG- Five miles outside the village of Tien

The dense forest outside of Tien obscured the waiting Imperial Firebenders. They had inserted in the Southwest several days ago, and had already ambushed several convoys of Earth Kingdom soldiers.

This was the fourth ambush.

We lay concealed in the heavy greenery, our black and red uniforms obscured by tall, thick grass. It was cold, and winter, but it hadn't snowed for quite a while. Corporal Kaito had gone on a reconnaissance mission and had informed us that a convoy was approaching.

Thirty men. Ten in the vanguard, two men wide, five men long, all carrying spears and donning the uniforms of nonbenders. Regular Infantry. Two carts in the middle, each one driven by two men, appearing to contain supplies and spare weapons. Six men in the recognizable uniforms of the Earthbenders, with their large, domed helmets and the streamlined uniforms, following the carts. The rear brought up by ten nonbenders with swords, spears, and a few pikes. Most likely from Xinzu Fort, the hub of Earth Kingdom military operations, led by the infamous General Fong, who would later arouse the Avatar's contempt by bending his future wife into the ground.

The plan would be simple. We would wait for the column to pass by. Once their vanguard got several feet away from the edge of the squad, we would bend like there was no tomorrow, concentrating on eliminating the Earthbenders and the infantry first. Then, we'd eliminate the survivors, burn the supplies, and leave their bodies as an example.

I lay on my belly next to Hide, or the Old Man, remaining completely silent. We had left our helmets at our campsite and only donned our armor. The other things would only serve to slow us down. The oppressive cold chilled my bones, but a faint warmth wound its way through my body as anticipation built in my chest. Then, the sound of chattering men and marching feet echoed through the forest, and the column began passing by.

The carriages rumbled by after long, and I slowly turned my head to look at the distant form of Sergeant Abe. After a tense few seconds as the chatting Earthbenders neared our positions, Abe silently made a cutting motion.

It was time.

In one motion, the entire squad clambered to a kneeling position and unleashed hell. Flames scythed from the dull green and exploded on the unwitting Earthbenders, felling most. I aimed a flurry of fireballs at the several men on the right flank of the convoy, felling several. The infantry, undoubtedly fresh recruits, were unsure of what to do, and most were felled in the first few seconds. Shuen was laughing his head off from the other side as he killed the drivers and the ostrich-horses with streams of fire. The ostrich horses died with agonized squawks as the flames spread across their body and they tried to break free, the ropes tying them to the carts holding steady.

We burst from cover, surrounding the last few infantrymen, who laid down their weapons and raised their hands.

"Keep 'em alive for now, boys. We need to have a few words. Lee, Matsui; torch the carriages."

The others lounged around, passing by the burnt carcasses of the dead, making sure each one was dead. Matsui and I walked over to the carriages and began dousing them in streams of flame. Matsui was a good guy. He was qualified, no matter what the rumors said. He had been a member of the Imperial Firebenders for a year or so, but the rumors that his father had got him the postion never abated, and he got a lot of crap for that.

"That was intense, huh," he said, as he doused the carriages.

"Shame about the ostrich-horses," I retorted.

He frowned, nodding.

"Shuen got carried away. Poor beasts. I always liked riding them as a kid."

"You rode?"

"Yeah, at my family's summer house in one of the colonies. We always used to go on long ostrich-horse rides, my father and I. We rode through the vast plains, my father and I. Just us two."

I nodded, releasing my firebending as the carriages crumbled under the searing flames.

"Did you ride?" he asked.

"Only in Basic. I'm from Infernus, so we don't get that many ostrich horses. That Komodo Rhino was the first thing I rode," I said with a grin.

From our left, where Kaito was interrogating the prisoners, there was a scream of pain.

"I'll ask again," sneered the cutting voice of the Corporal. "_How many soldiers are in Tien?"_

"Go… dunk… yourself… in," struggled a prisoner, whose arm was being slowly roasted by Kaito's hand.

Abe shook his head once, and Kayo, the Southern Raider man, dispatched the man with a single fireblast to the head, his face remaining impassively disinterested. The other man whimpered in fear, shaking like a leaf. Kaito turned to him, smirking confidently.

"If you tell me, then I'll let you go."

"N-None… the g-g-garrison w-was redeployed a few w-weeks ago. W-we were the relief sq-squad," he sobbed.

Kaito nodded, and stood, gesturing down the dirt path.

"Go ahead, soldier. You're free."

The man thanked Kaito, sobbing his gratefulness. Kaito smiled warmly, and even shook the man's hand.

"Live a full, long life," Kaito said with a grin.

With a sinking feeling in my stomach, the prisoner limped down the path in the opposite direction, wiping away tears. He was probably a recruit, inexperienced, because he trusted Kaito's word.

Silently, Kaito punched a fireball towards the man, hitting him in the back. He went up in flames, and Kaito followed it up with a few more fireblasts.

It took the man a few minutes to die.

Kaito grinned.

"Hey, I told him he was free, he just didn't know it was from life."

Shuen giggled, and Abe shook his head, smiling. Then, he waved us over.

"We'll make our way to Tien. We'll make sure it is undefended, then we'll burn the place to the ground. Let's get back to the camp first, then we'll march."

The men of my squad laughed and joked amongst each other, but Matsui and I shared a glance.

* * *

"Now, our mission is to spread fear and uncertainty, so don't target civilians offhand. If they try to resist you, its open season, but if you can, keep them alive. Otherwise, burn everything."

A deep feeling of revulsion settled in my stomach. These were people's homes. Their livelihoods. We were to take everything from them, and I knew that I would have to do my own part. I wondered if our ancestors were looking on in horror. But what had to be done had to be done, and if burning a few villages meant that some of my comrades in the Fire Nation got to live, then so be it. Such was the price of war.

* * *

We came from the east. The cold winter air seemed to deaden all sound in the air. The biting cold mixed with the dull, muted colors of the village.

We silently walked into the town, and the citizens, who were going about their daily lives in peace, saw only the menacing, blank stares of ten skull-faced helmets. Several farmers who were lugging a cart of wheat stared at us blankly for several seconds, then ran for their lives.

With unspoken agreement, we split up and began bending.

I followed one of my comrades to a squat hut, and we burst through the door, entering a living room where a father and his family sat, eating dinner. The wife screamed in horror and the father lunged towards us, grabbing a carving knife from the table. Acting from impulse, I reacted, and he flew back to the opposite wall as my fireball impacted on his chest. He cried out in pain as his burned chest steamed slightly, and the grim voice of Sergeant Abe emitted from the helmet.

"Take him and go."

The wife screamed profanity at us, and Abe emitted a stream of fire into the opposite bedroom, lighting it on fire, which spread quickly as he swept his arm horizontally. The children began crying and the wife ran to her husband and dragged him outside. Abe glanced at me. I stood there, staring at the spot where I had attacked the father. A normal, innocent man. I had flung him against the wall and charred his chest with incinerating fire.

Abe clutched my shoulder.

"Do your duty, soldier. Your Nation demands it. Better these _peasants_ than our brothers in arms."

I nodded dully, and followed him outside.

What I did then was unspeakably horrifying. As if I was in a trance, I went from house to house, forcing the inhabitants out of their homes and burning them to the ground. Thankfully, the episode with the father didn't repeat itself, but the sobs of grieving citizens, and the pleading voices of women and children filled my ears as my fists emitted waves of fire that spread the all-consuming fire across the village.

The heat from the blazing homes made me sweat profusely in my heavy uniform, and the biting cold seemed to retreat, as if afraid of the pure malice that was tangible in the air. I could see Shuen screaming madly at the citizens, dragging women out by their hair and laughing gleefully as he swept fire across the bamboo roofs of the village.

Kayo and Koba were piling discarded pitchforks and bamboo spears in a pile, and charred bodies in the other. To my right, Matsui stood, staring at the fire-engulfed houses in shock, the trails of glistening tears shining in the stark firelight.

As the sun set, the blazing fires continued inexorably. The blazing heat mixed with the frigid cold, and pale, white smoke poured from the fire alongside the dead, black soot.

* * *

When we got back to camp, the others were joking and laughing with each other as they settled in bed, and after long, they were asleep. I had pulled guard duty, which was good, because I couldn't sleep anyways. The faces were burned into my mind.

The enraged, afraid, and protective face of the father echoed in my mind, as did the crying, terrified, confused, and grieving faces of the mother and her children.

What had I become, I thought to myself.

I dropped to my knees, and dropped my helmet beside me. Then, I sobbed with shame, fear, and guilt. The tears came freely, pouring from my eyes until they were raw. When I was done, I glanced back at the sleeping forms of my squad to make sure no one was awake, and I stood blankly on guard duty until the moon was high in the sky.

The monsters had come out.

* * *

The act came easier with time. We had many missions. Some, after that first, terrible mission, were military in nature. Those I could do with a clear consciousness. We targeted Earth Military fortifications and convoys exclusively, or gathered intel or prisoners for further interrogation. A few times, we were assigned targets to assassinate, most of them generals, a few town mayors. Sure, they were people too, but when they were wearing military uniforms, I felt no remorse in gunning them down.

Many, however, were brutal and terrible. They had the purpose of only spreading fear and uncertainty. Our encounter with the village was repeated many times, and each time, something in my soul died. I never killed or attacked a civilian again, somehow. I burned my fair share of crops, houses, and villages, but I always found a way to avoid killing or attacking civilians.

I witnessed it, however.

We were once ordered to massacre civilians en masse. They gathered all the civilians, the men, the women, in the center of town. I knew what was going to happen, but I managed to pull duty watching the roads into the city for enemy soldiers.

When I returned, the town hall had been burned to the ground, and Matsui had told me what they had done. They had locked the poor bastards in the Town Hall and burned them alive. The children were all in a group, crying for their dead mothers and fathers.

I cried for a long time after that.

I got to a point where I no longer cared about what I had been a part of. After crying, avoiding murder, and suffering scathing guilt and shame, my emotional capacity to care and think for myself just… stopped. I came to a dark place in my heart. Where before, I would feel guilty, or hate my comrades, I eventually came to a place where I simply followed my orders without question.

They had taken from me my very soul and replaced it with a mindless slave. And I hated them for it.

* * *

Sometimes, I wonder if I got off too easy. I served three months in the Boiling Rock for my crimes in the war. Sure, I never directly killed a civilian, but I burned my fair share of villages. I was part of the armada that tried to demolish half the Earth Kingdom. I also directly attacked Iroh and Zuko both several times in my service for Zhao and Azula.

"_I know many of my friends in other Nations want me to find the war criminals that burned villages, killed civilians, and caused widespread destruction in this chaotic war. And they may be right; there are many sick men in my Nation that revel in the act of killing. But there are just as many that were coerced into joining the military, or were unwilling participants in these atrocities. If I've learned anything through my life, it's that no person, no matter how terrible they may be, is past redemption. _

_This war has seen enough deaths. What's the use in seeing many more by having mass executions? These men may be evil, but I refuse to believe that they are beyond saving. The very foundation of our Nation now is the struggle we must all go through to prove ourselves worthy of the chances afforded to us."_

_-Firelord Zuko, 107 AG._

* * *

My three months of prison time was accompanied by ten years of house arrest after I confessed my many different crimes to the War Crimes Court after my release from the Boiling Rock. All prisoners were required to testify afterwards, and while I did momentarily think about lying, the guilt that I felt took precedence. I confessed to everything; the burning of the villages, attacking Iroh and Zuko several times, the armada, and the many other minor crimes I had committed.

As a result, the jury had passed the sentence of ten years of house arrest. As I had confessed, as well as testified about some of my comrade's war crimes (they were all sadistic, apathetic monsters so I had no guilt), my original sentence of five more years in the Boiling Rock was reduced to ten years in house arrest. The fact that I had never actually killed a civilian, which they had determined was the truth after I was tested by none other than Toph Beifong herself (who could apparently tell if someone was lying), also helped in my reduction.

I wonder sometimes, however, If maybe I should have served that sentence. Perhaps it would have been easier. Every day, I'm tortured by the memories of those I terrified, and that one father I burned severely on that first mission. His agonized face haunts my dreams, and the horrified screams of his wife and kids echoes in my mind every waking moment.

And that's added to the memories of every man I killed.

* * *

For a long time after my house arrest expired, I drank heavily. I was, for a while, the residential drunk of Varron. I would try to drink my guilt away, which worked for a while, but I came close to ending it myself, and just plain old dying where I stood.

If it hadn't been for the efforts of my wife and parents, I would have spent the rest of my life begging for money and drinking myself to death. Unfortunately, that is the case for many other veterans.

I try to atone, though. I made a massive anonymous donation to the city of Tien a few years ago. I donate quite heavily to the War Victims Fund, and I try helping veterans battling alcoholism. But there is always that guilt. It's always there. The faces, the damned faces; they stay with me every waking moment, as if wondering why I ended their lives so soon. The screams of every grieving family as I burned their livelihoods to the ground, those cut into me like an eternal punishment. Most nights, I'm lucky; I don't dream at all. A lot, however, are hellish reminders of the crimes I comitted. But it's a part of me now, and as much as I hate it, it's made me who I am today.

The other day, I was talking with the Firelord, and I confessed to him that I had tried to attack both he and his Uncle several times. The first had been during the Siege of the North, when I had been with Zhao to try killing the Moon Spirit, and the other time had been when I was attached to Princess Azula's detail and I had tried to apprehend them. I had gotten flung into the ocean for that one (not for the last time), but luckily I had learned how to swim thanks to my upbringing in a coastal town.

I expected many emotions from him, but forgiveness was not one.

"It was a long time ago," he admitted to me. "We all made mistakes back then. I burned Kyoshi Island to the ground once, and Suki is one of my closest friends now. I know that many of us have done terrible, horrifying things in service to my father. But all that matters now is that we live our lives as best we can and try our best to regain our honor. I don't hold any grudges anymore; I haven't for a long time. My Uncle always used to say that a grudge is like an elbow leech; the longer it stays there, the more energy you lose."

* * *

**The writing of this chapter was intensely personal for me because it involves a lot of my legitimate feelings. Throughout the years, I have studied the Second World War as a sort of hobby or pastime. My bookshelf is full to the brim with textbooks, reference books, and narratives. Being also Japanese-American, the crimes of one half of my heritage is always prevalent. Events like the Nanking Massacre, the mistreatment of POWs, and the general war crimes that the Japanese Imperial Army committed during its campaign of genocide and conquest are like stains that every person of Japanese descent carries. My father, his mother, and all the many family friends I know that are either half Japanese or full Japanese, as well as me personally, are very disgusted by our country's crimes, and our country's current unwillingness to apologize or acknowledged crimes of the past. **

**As I was explaining to a friendly reviewer a couple minutes ago, its why I was drawn to the character Zuko as well as the series as a whole. The message of redemption and atoning for one's sins is a prevalent theme throughout the entire series. It was this shame and this path towards redemption that I attempted to convey here. Given that Imperial Japan and the Fire Nation are close parallels, I'm able to convey some of my personal opinions regarding this matter. **

**Thank you to all of you that reviewed, and thank you very much to all that have been faithfully reading this fic. You guys rock.**

**Sincerely, **

**IGdude117**


	17. Chapter 17: The Avatar Returns

"_The Year 99 AG was arguably the most eventful in recent history. It was during this year that Avatar Aang was rediscovered, and the first of many final blows to the unstoppable Fire Nation war machine was dealt. _

_The time before the Avatar's Return, however, saw an overall trend towards victory in the war for the Fire Nation. Running battles between Earth Kingdom forces and Fire Nation siege armies continued unabated in the general area of Omashu as General Shu's Third Army attempted to lay siege to the venerable city. King Bumi's mastery of unpredictable military tactics confounded all known knowledge and the Earth Kingdom armies pushed the Fire Nation into a stalemate due to unconventional tactics. _

_The Southern Water Tribe had been all but demolished, as the formidable Water Tribe armada had departed in 97 AG to raid supply lines in conjunction with the faltering Earth Kingdom Navy. _

_Prince Zuko, who had been banished in 96 AG, scoured the world for the Avatar after three grueling years of fruitless searching, and coincidentally found himself in the vicinity of the Avatar's location. _

_In the Earth Kingdom, the tides were steadily turning against the Earth Kingdom as Fire Nation forces advanced through villages and supply lines, taking the vast majority of the Earth Kingdom, with the exception of Ba Sing Se, Omashu, and both cities respective areas of influence. Pressure from Commander Zhao in the southwest, as well as General Bujing's efforts in the North and West had the Fire Nation advancing on all fronts. _

_In the Fire Nation, Firelord Ozai successfully managed his country, and support for the war and public morale was high, although signs had begun to show that the citizens were realizing how truly long this war had been lasting. Whispers of coup and revolt were tossed around, and the Domestic Forces cracked down severely as a result. _

_In short, the Fire Nation was at its peak, and the Avatar chose a very bad time to reenter the world. Lucky for us, he did…"_

_Tamura, "A History of the World", Volume 4, page 23._

* * *

99 AG, Early Winter- Nandao Harbor

"I know you," said the cruel, threatening visage of Commander Zhao.

The interviews that the Commander had been conducting to successfully place each member of his now famous Imperial Firebender Squad had begun, and my nervousness and anticipation of the moment was considerable. I had no way of knowing whether our previous encounter would reflect well or ill on him, and my potential well being relied on how he reacted.

"Yes, sir."

"You were at Ba Sing Se. You were with the regiments that nearly allowed us to be overrun."

"Yes, sir."

"You were with Lu Ten's regiment, no?"

"Yes, sir."

Zhao, who sat behind his large desk, strewn with maps, documents, and a peculiar drawing of a black fish circling a white one, regarded me blankly.

"Your initial _dishonor_ by being absent during the Earth Kingdom's counterattack is somewhat lessened by the 122nd's valiant efforts to slow the Earth Kingdom's advance, but the badge of shame remains on your record. I will, however, take into account the terrible mishandling of the entire Army Group on the side of your commanders. By all accounts, the front line regiments served with distinction, and that must be taken into account."

"Yes, sir."

"Sergeant Abe tells me that you're a reliable soldier who is skilled in his craft and can be relied upon. Is that true?"

"I only do my duty, sir."

"Ahh. A humble man. Tell me, Corporal, do you feel remorse for the acts you've been ordered to undertake? Attacks on the civilian populace? Guerilla warfare? I imagine a man of your… principles would take issue with such a vile act…"

Internally, I did feel revulsion. I hated this man for making me into a monster, and I hated myself for the blind loyalty I showed in carrying out those orders.

"My personal opinions are secondary to the orders of my superiors. Your wish is my command, Commander."

Zhao's mouth curled into a smile.

"Good. As long as you follow my orders exactly and remain obedient, we won't have an issue. You show great promise, Corporal. We both know that many of your comrades are either psychopathic or idiotic. I'm sure with time, you'll progress through the ranks."

"I thank you, sir."

"Good. Dismissed."

Stiffly, I popped to my feet and bowed deeply, and saluted, then turned and marched out the tent flap in parade form.

* * *

It is the soldier's curse that they rarely get a chance to relax. The life of the frontline soldier is one of tension, instinct, and base survival. That's how it was in Ba Sing Se. Everything was so… simple. Our side was here, their side was theirs, and all we had to do was… get rid of them. It's ironic that many of those 'armchair generals' that theorize about how the Fire Nation _could _have won, or how the Water Tribe _could_ have taken over the world think that war is so complex. Only those that have never been in the front think that war is a complex game of Pai Sho wherein each general tries to outsmart the other.

In reality, war is just a massive contest to see who makes it through to the other side. Sort of like those new "Probending" matches that have been popping up all over. Whoever manages to stay upright in the ring is the victor.

Our gag rule was still in effect, even if we were the rising stars of the Southern Theater. As the Imperial Firebender Doctrine maintained, one letter, annually, was all we could get. I chose the beginning of winter to write mine. If I could, I would have written to a myriad of different people. Fujiko, or any of the others from my old squad. Ayako, maybe, but I hadn't written to her in years.

In the end, I wrote to my parents. It was the only realistic choice. I've managed to dig it up from my father's things.

* * *

_Dear Mother and Father,_

_Greetings from the Port of Nandao! I feel I must apologize for my lack of communication. Being in the Imperial Firebenders is a great honor, but it doesn't come without inconveniences. I wanted to let you know that I am well and fine here. No major injuries (yet), and I will endeavor to keep it that way. _

_The war is going well. We've got the Earth Kingdom on the run on all fronts. My fellow soldiers are excelling in this war. In fact, I have a good feeling right now that the war will be over soon. I am sure that our ancestors are smiling down upon us, and will favor us by granting us victory over the enemy. _

_How are things on your end? I imagine, father, that the good fortunes of this war will mean that your trade routes will prosper. I know the Fire Navy is doing its best to eliminate piracy in these waters. It's not as if some peasant's boat will stand against an Emperor- Class Battleship, after all… _

_I hope you are well, mother. I know the war has been rough on all of us, but it is our duty to the firelord to endure. I only hope that you have time to tend to your beautiful garden; I shall look forward to seeing what new floral delights you have prepared when I return. _

_I hope to see you soon, and may the Ancestors smile down on you. _

_With Love,_

_Qin Lee_

* * *

I always wonder how I could write such a _pleasant_ letter after having done the things I did. You may notice the abundance of pro-Fire Nation wording in my letter, and that was primarily to convince the censor that I was as loyal as could be. I know that some men had entire letters blotted out or revoked due to revealing too much, so I was careful to omit military plans and the like.

My old squadmates, I later learned, were also doing well.

After the defeat at Ba Sing Se, the remnants of General Bujing's and General Shota's Divisions had been folded into General Kenshin's 20th Division. The 122nd Regiment, having lost Colonel Lu Ten, had been folded back into the 26th Regiment. Now, Fujiko and Keita were serving in the Domestic Forces. It turned out that a coup had been brewing in the Homeland, so Firelord Ozai recalled most of the Ba Sing Se remnants and assigned them to the Domestic Forces. The 26th Regiment was later sent to garrison the infamous high security prison known as the Boiling Rock, and Fujiko and Keita were actually there when the one and only escape from the prison occurred, involving a certain banished prince, as well as a few other now-famous people.

* * *

When the small, beat up cruiser slid into Nandao Harbor, we were all immediately interested. It was an old ship, we could tell, being dwarfed by the immensely larger Drake-Class Battleships. I, for one, immediately recognized it; I remembered seeing it being assigned to a banished outcast and his Uncle immediately after a fateful Agni Kai a few years ago.

Hide, who was standing guard with me outside Zhao's tent, apparently recognized it also. He poked his head into the tent.

"Commander, Prince Zuko's ship has just docked."

There was a grumbled reply and we both stood ramrod-still as Zhao stalked outside.

"The Prodigal son returns," he said, snidely. Then, he looked at the small cruiser, interested.

"It looks damaged. What do you make of it, Corporal Hide?"

Hide had formerly been a Captain in the Fire Navy, and he regarded the ship with a practiced eye.

"I make it to be ice damage, sir. But there's something else. I remember those patterns from when we used to raid the Northern Water Tribe; someone's been bending at that ship, sir."

"I thought all the waterbenders in the South were taken away?" Zhao said, perplexed.

"Apparently not, sir."

Zhao stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"As soon as our guests enter the tent, inform Captain Shen that I want the Prince's crew questioned and the ship appraised. Something's going on and I want to know what."

As soon as he left, Hide and I glanced at each other. It had been a hot day, so we had forgone the metal faceplates, as they only made the already sweltering helmets even hotter. I could see the look of curiosity in his face.

"Wasn't the Prince looking for the Avatar? I mean, you were on his detail…"

"Yeah. His father said he could only return with the Avatar."

"You don't think…"

The thought went through both of our heads. If the waterbenders of the South had been eliminated, and I knew that Yon Rha and the Southern Raiders were too thorough to miss something big like that, then the only thing that could have caused such massive damage to the ship was… the Avatar?

"Hey can't you read lips?"

"Yeah. Want me to repeat what they're saying?"

I stared at the distant forms of the Prince, his Uncle, and Commander Zhao. Zuko looked a lot older, and his Uncle a lot fatter.

"… _Retired_ General," Iroh said.

"The Firelord's brother and son are welcome guests any time. What brings you to my harbor?"

"Our ship is being repaired," responded the elderly general, waving back towards his ship.

"That's quite a bit of damage," noted the Commander.

It was quite clear that something was wrong, and the Prince and Iroh were both being very shifty.

"Yes," responded Zuko, holding up his finger. "Uncle will tell you what happened," he said, nudging his Uncle.

Iroh looked surprised, and I smirked slightly. These two obviously underestimated Commander Zhao. Nothing escaped the notice of the Commander, once he set his mind to it.

"It was incredible," he said, then, he paused. "What, did we crash or something?" he murmured to his nephew.

"Yes, we did. Right… into an Earth Kingdom ship!"

"That's hog-monkey crap," Hide murmured, "No Earthbender could create damage like that; it had to be a waterbender."

Apparently, Commander Zhao had similar thoughts.

"Really? You must regale me with all the _thrilling _details."

* * *

The Agni Kai between Zuko and Zhao was an honest surprise. Captain Shen, commander of the Infantry Corps contingent of the Nandao Garrison, walked towards Hide and I as we stood guard outside the Commander's tent. The soft voices of the inhabitants murmured on, but it was both too dangerous and too quiet for me to make anything important out. As the Captain approached, I shifted to the side, blocking his way, saluting at the same time.

"What's your business with the Commander?"

"Out of my way. I've finished interrogating the crew, and I must inform the Commander about my findings."

Hide nodded once, and I shifted to the side, allowing the Captain in.

There was a flutter of movement inside, and the Captain's voice filtered outwards.

"Commander Zhao, we interrogated the crew as you instructed. They confirmed Prince Zuko had the Avatar in custody, but let him escape."

A rush of adrenaline flowed through me, and my jaw fell slightly open as I glanced at Hide in shock. For the first time, the grizzled old man looked genuinely surprised, and a dull fear began building in my heart. The Avatar was alive? He was out there? And apparently, judging by the state of Zuko's ship, he was powerful.

There was an intense silence inside the tent, and Commander Zhao's snide tone cut through the silence like a sharp blade.

"Now, remind me; how _exactly_ was your ship damaged?

The tent flap fluttered open, and Captain gestured us inside, indicating the sitting general and the prince. Hesitantly, Hide and I took positions on either side of the two men, and we watched them carefully, ready to respond if they attacked.

Captain Shen handed Zhao a sheet of paper, and the Commander read it, his face curling in disgust as his eyes zoomed over the paper. Then, he slammed it on his desk, looking at the Prince in utter disdain.

"So a twelve year old boy bested you and your firebenders. You're more pathetic than I thought."

A shock rushed through me again, and it took all my willpower to stand at attention. A twelve year old boy? How could that be possible? The Avatar died hundreds of years ago. How could he be here, now, and only be twelve? It seemed impossible.

"I underestimated him _once_, but it will _not_ happen again!" he growled.

Zhao glared.

"No it will not. Because you won't have a second chance."

Shock and fear ran through the teenager's face as Zhao's words registered.

"Commander Zhao, I've been hunting the Avatar for two years and I—"

The Commander cut him off, turning towards the opposite wall angrily, releasing a wave of flame that roared into life.

"And you failed!" he said, walking up to the young Prince.

"Capturing the Avatar is too important to leave in a teenager's hands. He's mine now."

Zuko glared angrily and jumped from his seat, but Hide and I grabbed his shoulders and held him back against the chair.

"Keep them here," Zhao growled to me.

Roaring in anger, Zuko kicked the table in front of him as we held him against the chair, breaking the table in half.

The General simply sat in his chair, sipping his tea.

"More tea, please."

* * *

We waited there for several hours, and Hide and I retreated to the door of the tent after the General assured us his nephew would refrain from doing anything rash. After a while, the General walked up to me.

"I believe we've met before," he stated.

"Yes, sir. I was in your son's regiment."

The General's face darkened slightly, but he looked at me, a serious look on his face.

"I remember. So you are in the Imperial Firebenders now?"

Hide was trying to hide the fact that he was eavesdropping, but he pretended to stare blankly at the Prince, who was sitting in his chair sullenly.

"Yes, sir."

Iroh simply nodded. He took several steps away, and walked to where his nephew was staring blankly into the distance and began conversing with him in silence. Then, the sound of footsteps outside trickled inwards, and Hide and I pulled our spears back from blocking the tent flap as Commander Zhao walked in.

* * *

The Commander and the Prince's conversation devolved quickly into accusations of treason and rage-fueled curses, and it ended quickly with the two men in each other's faces, challenging each other to an Agni Kai. The General looked grim, and Commander Zhao sneered at the Prince.

"It's a shame your father won't be here to watch me humiliate you. I guess your uncle will do."

He paused next to Hide and I.

"When the match is over, report to the _Inferno_ to join the search. Sergeant Abe and the other Imperial Firebenders are preparing to depart. Once I dispose of this upstart whelp, we can begin the hunt."

"Yes, sir."

Once he had left, and we remained alone with the Prince and his Uncle, Iroh walked over to his nephew, worry and fear registering on his weathered face.

"Have you forgotten what happened the last time you dueled a master?"

Memories of the massive fireball scalding the young boy's face and his agonized scream echoed in my mind.

"I'll never forget."

* * *

The duel was short, ferocious, and fast, and it featured some of the finest bending I had ever seen. When we arrived at the captured Earthbending Arena that we had converted into a sparring arena, Sergeant Abe and the men, as well as several squads of Regulars, were gathered around to watch. Both men were in their ceremonial vests, and the tension was palpable.

On the one side, we stood in formation behind Zhao, who, as he turned, smiled cruelly.

"This will be over soon."

We retreated to the far entrance, and as the gong rang, the heat of the setting sun, and the building power in the air affected all of us.

The duel began suddenly, and the arena was filled with jets of fire. The action was difficult to follow, but it was clear that the Prince had improved his firebending greatly since his banishment. Before, when the detail used to escort him to Firebending lessons, the young prince was determined but clumsy in his bending abilities. Now, however, his determination was only fiercer, and his well-built physique and newly acquired skills allowed.

The battle dragged on, and we looked on in awe. The Commander was a talented bender, that much was obvious, but we were all surprised by how talented the Prince was. The vulnerable child who couldn't stand up to his father had been replaced by a potent, skilled bender; no doubt having been taught by his Uncle, whom we all respected.

Then, Zhao launched himself in the air, and Zuko fell to the ground, and Zhao prepared to give the final blow.

But the Prince was not done yet.

In a single, sweeping motion, he swiped the Commander's feet from under him and planted himself firmly upright. The Commander's root had been broken, and all of us who had gone through an Agni Kai before knew that the Prince had taken the upper hand. Relentlessly and skillfully, the teenager fired blast after blast at our Commander until Zhao had been thrown to the ground. Zuko paused, pointing his fist at the Commander's face, and we braced ourselves for his final blow.

Zhao's face was angry, as if he blamed himself for being beaten, but a grim sense of resignation settled over him.

"Do it!" he shouted.

The Prince glared in hatred, then roared in hate, sending his fireball directly to the side of the Commander.

"That's it?" Zhao asked dubiously. "Your father raised a coward."

The Prince grimaced, composing himself once again.

"Next time you get in my way, I promise you that I won't hold back."

I glanced at my squad mates, who looked thoroughly impressed. Recently, the practice of ending your opponent had become popular, but apparently Zuko clung to the old ways, the contest to see who got burned first. The way we in the Imperial Firebenders did it.

The Prince turned his back contemptuously, and Commander Zhao brushed himself off, looking disgusted. Then, in a single sudden moment, he kicked towards the Prince's back, sending a wave of fire. Lunging forward, Iroh grabbed Zhao's foot, dissipating the blast and throwing him forward. We started forward, but Sergeant Abe shook his head.

"It's the old way. Don't interfere."

Iroh looked at the Commander in utter disgust.

"So this is how the Great Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful. Even in exile, my nephew has more honor than you."

He paused, bowing slightly.

"Thank you for the tea. It was delicious."

As they exited the arena, we walked over to Zhao, who waved us off. Then, glaring at the receding form of the Prince, he spat on the ground. Then, he turned to Captain Fang, commander of the 9th Flotilla, Zhao's command.

"Captain Fang. Prepare the ships for departure. Inform Lieutenant Shou that I want all the latest intelligence on the Avatar and his movements. We depart in one hour."

We saluted in unison, and sprinted to our respective stations to prepare for departure.

As we returned to our section of tents, Corporal Iwasa gathered his pack, looking confused. He glanced at us as we began packing.

"What's going on? Why are we leaving on the ships?"

Sergeant Abe looked at him grimly.

"The Avatar has returned."

* * *

**And so begins our fateful journey to the North Pole. In the next installment, Qin Lee and the other Imperial Firebenders join Zhao's hunt for the Avatar, leading them to the Pohuai Stronghold where a certain masked vigilante makes his first appearance. Our hero also comes into contact with Aang for the first time. **

**Sorry for the long wait guys, I've been bogged down in summer work and my job so I've had little time to write. Well, that and watching every episode of The Last Airbender and the Legend of Korra that I can before friday's Season 3 premier. Words cannot describe how much I'm pumped. But I'm really pumped. **

**As usual, thanks for reading!**

**IGdude117**


	18. Chapter 18: The Blockade

99 AG- 290 Miles from Kyoshi Island

"So… what does this mean for the Fire Nation, if the Avatar's returned? Are… are we finished?"

Corporal Koba sneered at Matsui's nervous comment in contempt.

"Grow a backbone, _rich boy_. Of course we're not done for. Even if the Avatar's mastered all four elements, what good will it do him? We've pacified the _inferior_ nations, including the Air Nomads, the Water Tribe, and the Earth Kingdom. What good will sheer talents do him? It's impossible that one man could stand up to the might of our great nation."

Corporal Shuen leaned against his bunk, sharpening a dagger.

"I wonder if facing an Avatar would be fun."

"What kind of question is _that?_" asked Iwasa, who was messing with his hair in a vain attempt to be rid of his helmet hair.

"I imagine it would be a good time, you know? He'd be a challenge. Not like those _dirties_ we fought in that one village."

"What dirties? Which village? There've been so many I can hardly remember, _Shuen_," snorted Sergeant Abe.

He set his skull faceplate on his bunk, getting to his feet.

"It's pointless to gossip about the Avatar at this point. It's only been a few days since we left Nandao, and I'm sure we're all eager to get on firm ground again. As I said, I have no idea where the Avatar is or even what Zhao plans to do."

"We'd best find him before the Winter Solstice," Hide muttered. The squad members looked at him incredulously.

"Why the Solstice? Who cares?" Iwasa sneered, setting down his mirror.

Corporal Kaito, who was reading through some scrolls, looked up.

"What Corporal Hide is trying to explain is that the Avatar theoretically draws power during the Winter Solstice."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean? Why would the Avatar draw power on a stupid holiday?" Shuen asked, picking his nails with his razor sharp dagger.

"You've all heard the legends," I said, piping up. The people of Varron were, for Fire Nationals, secretly very concerned with Spirits, a practice that had mostly died out in the rest of the Fire Nation. Nevertheless, I had learned extensively about the Spirit legends from my parents.

The men turned to look at me attentively, some indifferently.

"What legends?" Koba asked, no doubt thinking this was unpatriotic drivel.

"Well, the legends always say that the Spirit World is closest to our world during the Winter Solstice. The legends also say that the Avatar draws power and knowledge from the Spirit World, so perhaps he could… gain elemental knowledge from the spirits or something? I don't know…"

Shuen snorted in skepticism, shaking his head.

"I don't believe this crap. All this Spirit mumbo-jumbo reminds me of the fat lazy priests from my old village."

"The Spirit World doesn't even exist," Koba said dismissively. "The Fire Nation is more civilized than believing in primitive sentiments like that."

"Look, all I know is that the sooner we find the Avatar, the sooner we can win this war. With the Avatar in play, the stakes are much higher. I expect that by the time Sozin's Comet arrives, we'll have the Avatar in custody and the Earth Kingdom will finally fall."

Corporal Iwasa glanced in my direction.

"Hey, New Guy- didn't you serve in Ba Sing Se? Do you think we could break through by Sozin's Comet?"

I thought about the two years of constant bombardment that had finally caused the Walls to fall, and doubt permeated my thoughts. Then again, when Sozin' s Comet had come last time, Sozin wiped out the Airbenders.

"I don't know. It took two years of constant bombardments to bring those bastards down, but Sozin' s Comet would probably make it a whole lot easier. I imagine so, anyways."

"Shut up and get some sleep. We don't know when we'll sight the Avatar, so you'd best rest up while you can. I'll wake you if I get news," growled Abe.

Grumbling to ourselves, we settled into our beds and drifted to sleep, the faint rustling of Corporal Kaito's scrolls.

* * *

The days leading up to the Winter Solstice were frustrating and tense. Sightings of both the Avatar's legendary Sky Bison as well as Prince Zuko's ship were abundant, and the twelve ships of Commander Zhao's battle-group slogged endlessly through the turbulent waves of the Earth Kingdom.

Our spies, of course, were every, so intelligence on the Avatar was frequent.

According to our spies, the Avatar was traveling with two Southern Water Tribes-people; one, a young girl of around fourteen, was apparently a waterbender, and her brother, seventeen or so, was an accomplished leader and the current chief of the Southern Water Tribe.

Even more curious were the reports that the Avatar, an airbender, was only twelve years old. Many of the soldiers and sailors on the ship were skeptical, but theories were abound that the Avatar was a shape-changer, or that he could bend time, or that he had gone into hibernation for the last hundred years of war.

When word that he had bested Warden Takei and his entire garrison on the Earthbender Prison rig of Shichina, rumors that the Avatar was a master bender, and that he was a prodigy at such a young age were common, and fear and conjecture ran rampant across Zhao's battle group. Finally, the commander made it forbidden to discuss the Avatar and had some men flogged to boot. After that, only whispered exchanges discussed the Avatar's powers.

Then, one of our spies in the Earth Kingdom village of Senlin reported that the Avatar had had a vision, defeated a Spirit in personal combat, and was headed to the Fire Sage's temple on Crescent Island. I was in the control room when Zhao received the message.

* * *

The bustling activity paused as Zhao walked over to the windows, a sign that he was agitated, or was at least thinking. Then, he turned towards me and gestured me out into the hall.

"Corporal Lee. I trust that you remember the Seiji Code that we used to use back in Ba Sing Se?"

The Seiji code had been a cipher the various units had used to communicate with the other fronts during the siege. It had been developed by one of General Iroh's staff members, and consisted of a complex number code system that was entirely unknown to the Earthbenders or many other Fire Nationals. As luck would have it, I was very familiar with the code as we had used it to send and receive orders within the Regiment due to the suspicion that Earth Kingdom agents had infiltrated our ranks.

"Yes, sir."

He nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. I want you to send a message to Home Fleet Admiral Chan. He'll know the code, as he served in Iroh's staff during the Siege. Tell him that I want his fleet to set up a blockade around the Fire Sage's Island, and to be ready for my arrival. Remind him that he owes me a favor."

I bowed stiffly.

"Yes, sir, Commander Zhao."

He saluted back, and I turned towards the aviary, where we kept the messenger hawks. I quickly wrote the message out, attached a black ribbon for urgent news, and released the Hawk towards Admiral Chan.

* * *

Ironically, this one, isolated, singular event would eventually propel my career so that I became the commanding officer of _The Wrath of Sozin_'s Communications division during Fire Lord Ozai's failed attempt to demolish the Earth Kingdom.

A week later, four days before the Winter Solstice, the reply came.

_Commander Zhao-_

_Blockade deployed. 35 ships out of 40 of Defense Fleet have mustered; last 5 enroute from Chameleon Bay Area. All Captains prepped and ready to face Avatar. Awaiting your orders. _

_-Admiral Chan_

* * *

I had ordered the crewmen that were in charge of the communications department on the fleet to forward all personal mail to Commander Zhao to me, and I quickly translated this one and handed it to him. He read the translated message quickly and nodded once in satisfaction.

"Helmsman; set a course to the Fire Sage's Temple on Roku's Island. I want us there in two days at the most. Corporal Lee, inform the Captains that I want to brief them on this ship in one hour. I want you to handle my personal communications from now on."

"Sir? All due respect, I'm not cleared for this sort of duty, Commander."

The Commander glanced back at me with pure indifference.

"You've proven yourself both trustworthy and useful, Corporal. You also keep your mouth shut, unlike the rest of your comrades. I sense a higher loyalty and a yearning to atone for the defeat at Ba Sing Se. Do this for me and your shame may yet be alleviated."

Surprised and somewhat honored, I bowed deeply and left the room to send the message and inform Sergeant Abe.

* * *

"The Avatar," Zhao said, pacing in front of the assembled Captains of Zhao's Battlegroup, "Is the one last bulwark to our plans in this world."

We were positioned in key points around the room, and several of the others were in the hallway, guarding the mission briefing room from questing eyes and curious sailors.

"The last few weeks has seen a slew of rumors flying around this battlegroup. I will now be confirming the facts and dispelling the lies."

The assembled ship captains and senior officers seemed to lean forward, as if collectively intrigued.

"The Avatar, according to our intelligence operatives in the Earth Kingdom, is a twelve year old boy. Through some stroke of luck or infernal magic, he was shielded from us and suspended in time for the past one hundred years, and reports indicate that he previously had no idea about this war and the Fire Nation's near victory.

In the last four weeks alone, the Avatar has avoided the attentions of both this fleet and Prince Zuko's renegade ship. Although the Prince is an arrogant, spoiled, whelp, it remains pure fact that the Avatar was able to outmaneuver he, his uncle, and a crew of veteran Fire Nation soldiers on several occasions. He has also assisted in a disastrous prison break on Colonel Takei's Prison Rig, which allowed a rebel group of earthbenders to begin efforts in taking back some of the coastal villages in the Southwest Earth Kingdom. This has resulted in further troop deployments in the Southern Earth Kingdom, which sets back the timetable on the next Siege of Ba Sing Se quite a bit.

It is quite clear that the Avatar has completely mastered air. Reports indicate that he is traveling with a Southern Water Tribe Warrior and his sister, a Waterbender, which means that the Avatar could be learning Waterbending as we speak. I don't need to impress upon you how inconvenient it will be for Firelord Ozai if the Avatar returns having mastered all four elements. I for one intend to prevent him from doing so.

He recently confirmed that he is able to enter the Spirit World and command the Spirits to his will, and this is quite frankly a worrying development. Our spies in the Earth Kingdom village he saved tell us that he intends to travel towards Avatar Roku's Island in an attempt to convene with his Spirit on the Winter Solstice and gain valuable information. We cannot allow that to happen. We are enroute to a rendezvous with Admiral Chan's fleet which is setting up a blockade around Avatar Roku's Island. From there, we will defend against the Avatar and either shoot him down or capture him."

There was a stunned silence as the Commander's words seemed to echo over the gathered Captains. Urgent whispers erupted, and Captain Eiji of _The Ishimuro_ stood up, bowing.

"What kind of resistance can we expect from the Avatar, Commander? Will he have any Naval support?"

Zhao nodded, unrolling a map of the Earth Kingdom and pointing to the village of Senlin, the last known location of the Avatar.

"As I said, the Avatar is an accomplished Airbender, and he is traveling with a warrior and a waterbender. We have yet to find out the specific identities of his two allies, but we can assume that they are dangerous if they have avoided our friends in the Southern Raiders for so long. The Avatar is traveling with the last known specimen of the Air Bison, a massive creature that can fly in the air. This gives the Avatar's party dominance in the sky, but I have full confidence in the capabilities of our long ranged artillery. As for further support, the Avatar has only recently entered the world stage, and as such, we have no indications that the Water Tribes or the Earth Kingdom are supporting him. The Pirate Fleet under Chief Hakoda is still occupied in the Eastern Seas, and the Earth Kingdom Navy is still tied down in the North near Ba Sing Se."

Another Captain stood up.

"Sir, what about Prince Zuko? Surely he will be in pursuit. What will we do if we encounter his ship."

Zhao smirked pacing across the front of the room, his hands clasped behind his back.

"The Banished Prince is forbidden from entering Fire Nation waters under penalty of death. Should he make any attempt to enter Fire Nation borders, I want a boarding party readied to capture him and his crew so that we can return them to the Fire Nation to face judgment. Should his vessel find itself in your field of fire, do not hesitate to fire. His loss will not be mourned by his father, and his survival is secondary to the capturing of the Avatar."

"Now," he added, pausing at the front of the room, "Are there any questions?"

There was silence.

"Good," he said, nodding. "Go to your ships and stay in formation. We shall be joining Admiral Chan's blockade in a day or so."

* * *

When we finally rendezvoused with Admiral Chan's fleet, the men of Zhao's Battlegroup were primed and ready to fight. Boulders had been stockpiled and coated with tar, and the Artillery Corps men on the ship had calibrated their sights and weapons.

On the night before the Winter Solstice, Sergeant Abe gathered us in our quarters and told us what our job would be.

"Our job tomorrow is to follow the orders of Commander Zhao. Our primary job will be assisting with the artillery batteries in their attempt to shoot down the Avatar. Qin Lee, Iwasa, Hide, and Kayo, you will go with Corporal Kaito and assist with the Artillery effort. The rest of you will join me and remain by the Commander's side."

"What happens if the Avatar breaks through the blockade?" Kayo asked impassively.

"Wouldn't be too hard…" muttered Koichi, drawing a chuckle from the other Imperial Firebenders.

Sergeant Abe smirked.

"The Commander has a contingency plan. In the rare case that the Avatar does escape, our ship and a few others will immediately join the pursuit. We believe he will be heading for Avatar Roku's Temple, but it is possible that he is trying to assassinate the Fire Lord or go underground in the Homeland. Either way, we will pursue and capture the Avatar, and this squad will be at the vanguard of any operation to capture the Avatar. Our primary goal is to capture the Avatar, but we will provide protection to the Commander and the other Senior Officers if need be."

"Ten gold pieces say I can take this Southern Water Tribe Warrior with my shortsword," Koichi joked, eliciting laughter from the others.

"Twenty say I can take the Avatar down," Shuen said, eliciting grunts of disbelief and incredulity from us.

Abe silenced us by clearing his throat.

"Look, if we do this and actually take this piece of Wolf-Bat dung out, then we've won this war. This is quite possibly the most important thing we've done for this Nation. So do your duty and kill this whelp tomorrow, then we can all go home to the Palace and enjoy the Capital City's spoils for a good long while. Get your rest; I'll wake you in a few hours."

There was a chorus of assent and we all went to our various bunks, chattering amongst ourselves. As I lay in my bed, my head was a swirling cauldron of emotion. As always, the ever-present guilt was there, but disturbing questions came to mind. By helping destroy the Avatar, was I consigning the world to tyranny and destruction? Was I dooming the world to eternal damnation? Was I going to be tormented by my ancestors for helping kill a _twelve year old boy_?

Tormented by these questions, I got little sleep, and the next day arrived all too soon. A deep sense of foreboding settled over me as I strapped my armor on. For today was the Winter Solstice, and the legends always said that strange things happened on the Solstice.

* * *

**Next time, Qin Lee and the First Squad face off against a renegade prince and a young Avatar as the Winter Solstice dawns. On the day when the Spirit World and the Material one are overlapping, what shall happen, and what miraculous events will occur? **

**Once again guys, sorry for the wait, my summer work is really heating up. I've also been taking some time to read some of the great stuff that's on this site also, but I'm back now, so expect updates around twice a week. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-IGdude117**


	19. Chapter 19: The Winter Solstice

99 AG- 25 miles from Avatar Roku's Island

We waited for a long time. The entire fleet floated still, drifting silently as the assembled crewmen waited with anticipation for the Avatar. None of us had any idea how he'd arrive. Some thought he'd arrive on a pillar of water, bending the entire ocean to his will and destroying the entire fleet with one fell swoop. Others thought he'd arrive leading an entire armada of Free Nation ships in an attempt to invade the Homelands.

We were gathered near the four long-ranged trebuchets of Zhao's Ship, _Sozin's Pride_. The massive, emperor-class battleship was the pride of the Fire Navy, and was a capital ship worthy of the Royal Family itself. The clear, brisk ocean air was refreshing, and Commander Zhao stood, scanning the ocean with his spyglass, accompanied by Lieutenant Tukan of the ship's artillery section and Sergeant Abe.

We waited for several hours, and some of the Engineering Corps men began sitting on barrels and other various items, chatting in boredom to each other. The Imperial Firebenders, of course, stood rigidly by our positions at ease, waiting for further orders, as was our tradition.

Then, the trademark sound of a catapult's missile echoed, and the crews of all the ships scurried into action, standing by their positions, waiting for orders. Utter silence settled over the fleet, and the gentle _swoosh_ of the waves and the faint cry of seagulls were the only audible sounds.

And then, from a large cloud, a massive, white, flying bison emerged from the wisps of mist as a single fireball exploded into the ocean.

Gasps of astonishment resounded from the crew as the flying beast came into view, seeming to hesitate as it saw the blockade. On its head was a giant, brown arrow, and a large saddle had been erected on its back, a distant speck wearing orange and red flying it, with two other specks dressed in blue in the saddle.

"The Avatar…" whispered an engineer, in a mixture of disbelief and fear.

Zhao smiled cruelly as he stared through his spyglass.

"The Avatar… and the banished prince. Today must be my lucky day," he smirked, setting down his spyglass.

Lieutenant Tukan stepped forward, saluting.

"Commander Zhao—what are your orders?"

Zhao glanced through his spyglass once more, remaining silent. Then, he shut the lid on it and stowed it back in his pouch, holding his hands behind his back.

"Shoot the Bison down."

Tukan hesitated.

"But there's a Fire Navy ship out there, sir, one of our own. What if we hit it?"

"So be it," he said, causing Tukan to blanch in shock, "it belongs to a traitor."

Turning towards Corporal Kaito, he nodded, and Kaito composed himself. Mentally, I ran through the correct procedure to firing a trebuchet that they had taught us in Basic.

_Aim, Ignite, Wait, Fire_.

"Ignite!"

Kaito paused for a moment, then released a jet of fire that lit the tar-covered missile on fire. The heat was intense, and the flames raged violently, as if willing us to unleash it on the unwitting enemy. In order, the rest of us ignited our trebuchets. I lit mine with an intense but small fireball, and I took a step back as the flames licked at my arm. I glanced at the crew, who were making final preparations in aiming the piece at the distant Avatar as one of the Artillerymen rattled out a line of statistics.

The others then went to their waiting position by the next missile, and the other man, a Gunnery Sergeant, stood by at the release lever. Down the length of the ship, and in the distance on the decks of the other ships, the flaming missiles blazed away, and tension filled the air as we waited for the order.

"FIRE!"

With a clang of metal on metal that filled the air, hundreds of flaming rocks were launched into the air. I stepped to the side as soon as the arm had flung itself upward and squinted my eyes, searching for the Avatar's Bison. Incredibly, the great beast had flown down to sea level and was ducking and weaving between the different, jet-black explosions of soot. The distant form of Zuko's ship rocked from a large explosion, and smoke began to pour from the diminutive craft.

"Reload!" bellowed Lieutenant Tukan

Grunting with effort, two members of the crew turned the reloading wheel that wrenched the firing arm back down into its loading position as the other two lifted the immense boulder using a large cart. With a deep clang, the four trebuchet arms were locked back into the starting position, and four crews of men lifted the tar-covered boulder into the holding basket. Voices began calling figures to their crew members, and small adjustments to chain length and orientation were made as the men tried getting a bead on the Avatar's bison.

Lieutenant Tukan lifted his fist in the air, and we waited.

"Launch!"

Once again, a flurry of flaming boulders arced through the sky as the Bison desperately tried flying above the clouds. Distant flashes and falling bits of rock and blotches of smoke exploded above the clouds as the missiles swiped past the Bison. Spotters searched the sky diligently, looking for signs that we had gotten a direct hit.

"No hit! They've got a man overboard!"

I looked at the distant conflagration of fire and brimstone as the Bison dipped beneath the clouds as a distant figure hurtled towards the distant water, clothed in blue.

"Must be one of those water tribe peasants," Kayo noted, waiting for another order.

"LOAD!"

The routine began again as the Bison raced towards the Avatar's falling companion. The rock thudded into place and the spotter rattled off another list of figures, and the trebuchet groaned as adjustments were made.

"FIRE!"

In a single movement, the Bison bounced on the water as if it were a large mattress, the falling figure being pulled back on by the distant Avatar.

"RELOAD, QUICKLY!"

The crews rushed to reload the trebuchets, but Zhao pointed at Kaito's trebuchet, indicating that he only wanted one to load. The other crews helped Kaito's trebuchet reload, and Zhao held his fist up, and the crew scurried to their ready positioned. The Bison flew rapidly towards us, and I could begin making out the passengers in greater detail.

"They're going to ram us!" shouted a crewman in fear.

The bison rushed headfirst towards us, and some of the crewmen began backing away in fear. My heart was pounding rapidly, and even Kayo looked reluctant for once.

"Ready…"

The Bison continued unabated, and I began wondering how much damage a giant bison could do to the battleship. At least, I reflected, I was good at swimming.

"FIRE!"

Kaito's trebuchet fired a flaming missile towards the bison, heading straight towards it. Euphoria ran through my heart as I realized that the missile would hit the bison directly and drive it underwater. Perhaps we would not have to swim in the frigid water today.

Then, in a single, jumping movement, the Avatar lunged forward, brandishing his staff, and flew through the boulder, disintegrating the rock and fire into smoke and leaping back into his place at the head of the Bison, supported by his two friends. He raised his fist in the air victoriously, and for a split second, I could see him with intense clarity; a young, bald child with kind, joyful eyes and a happy grin plastered on his face.

Zhao growled in rage as the bison swooped overhead, and the crew dove to the ground as the Bison's tail barely missed hitting the bridge. The Bison flew past the blockade and receded into the distance.

Lieutenant Tukan walked towards the Commander tentatively.

"Where do you think the Avatar is headed, sir?"

The Commander bowed his head in shame, looking towards the ground in a single, hate-filled glare.

"I don't know. But perhaps a certain Prince may know," he said, directing his glare towards the quickly approaching ship.

Abe motioned us forward, and we sprinted forward and got in formation, mentally preparing ourselves to fight the Prince and his crew. We stood in rigid parade rest, and Sergeant Abe snapped to attention.

"The boarding party is ready to apprehend Prince Zuko, sir."

Zhao studied the approaching boat studiously, and then shook his head.

"Wait. Cut the engines; let them pass."

"Sir?" Abe asked, confused.

Zhao glared at him and Abe crossed his fists, signaling the bridge to cut power to the engines. With a massive groan the ship stopped as the large smokestacks spluttered some soot out, and the Prince's ship glided past the gap between our ship and Captain Rokano's _Infiltrator_. The Commander glared at the distant form of the Prince, and very soon, the Prince's ship passed through completely, smoke from his damaged engines drifting through the deck.

* * *

We followed the Prince's ship at a distance, the smoke trail leaving a clearly visible path towards the renegade Prince's ship. Most of the crew members returned to their quarters to rest up before reaching the destination. We remained on the deck, sitting on spare boulders and crates, getting what rest we could before engaging the enemy. Zhao stood at the bow of the ship. Abe stood to his left, and I stood a few feet behind them, at parade rest in wait of orders.

"What's he doing? Their ship is changing course to the North. Could they be on the trail of the Avatar?" Abe asked, setting down his spyglass.

Zhao stared through his, silently pondering, a grim expression on his face.

"Of course not. It's not as if we _need_ the Prince to track the Avatar. We know where he's going; I merely let him pass so that we could capture him on Roku's Island. Two eagle-sparrows with one rock, you could say."

Abe nodded in satisfaction.

"The Imperial Firebenders are at your disposal, Commander. What will your orders be when we reach the island."

Zhao stayed silent for a moment longer, then turned towards the Sergeant, setting down his spyglass.

"Avatar Roku's Temple is an immensely large structure. At the very top is a guarded gate that opens into a room where a statue of the late Avatar stands, as well as an immense celestial calendar. There is a small window that directs sunlight into different positions around the room, but on the Winter Solstice, the setting sun's rays will hit the temple, and will reportedly allow very spiritual individuals to commune with Roku's spirit."

Abe looked somewhat skeptical.

"Is this talk of spirits true, Commander? I cannot imagine that there is a realm that parallels our own where the Spirits gallivant around…"

Zhao smirked.

"Oh, the Spirits are real, alright, Sergeant. They are very alive and well. Yet even the Spirits cannot contend with the might of the Fire Nation. It is in the Spirits that the key to victory awaits, Sergeant. There are many Spirits inhabiting this world, and with each of them rests the potential of complete victory. With their help, or downfall, we will become the undisputed masters of this world, and none will stand before us."

* * *

The sky dipped low into the sky as the large gangplank thudded into the volcanic rock of Roku's Island. Fully armored, we quickly formed up behind Sergeant Abe and Commander Zhao, our keen senses gathering as we readied ourselves for combat. A small landing craft from a Fire Nation ship floated in the water nearby, its anchor sinking into the jet-black sand.

"The Prince is here…" Zhao said, smirking.

"Go into the Temple and up the stairs to the highest level. Maintain overall stealth; we don't know whether the Avatar is in the Chamber yet or not."

Running into a brisk jog, the squad followed Zhao into the temple. We ran into the main floor, and several of the squad's helmets looked upwards in surprise, the endless floors reaching far above us. Zhao gestured towards a set of tall stairs, and we ran up the seemingly-endless steps, readying ourselves to fight an Avatar.

* * *

We reached the top of the steps in complete silence, and raised voices echoed through the hallway. We crept forward, at Zhao's beckoning, and silently filed into the room and stood. Tied to several pillars were a young, sixteen year old boy and a younger girl wearing Water Tribe clothing. A Fire Sage knelt on the ground, thick rope tying his hands behind his back, and Zuko and several other Fire Sages stood in front of the kneeling man, interrogating him.

"Why did you help the Avatar?!" he shouted angrily.

"Because it was once the Sages' duty. It is still our duty," the bound man responded coolly.

Zhao smirked as we walked forward and began slowly clapping, drawing the eyes of everyone. The two tied prisoners blanched, and the other four Fire Sages smiled victoriously.

"What a moving and heartfelt performance. I'm certain the Fire Lord will understand when you explain why you _betrayed him_."

The lead Fire Sage, a wizened old man, stepped forward and bowed deeply, fear registering in his eyes. Zhao was not known to be a forgiving man and his reputation for apathy and savagery preceded him everywhere. Kind of like our own reputation.

"Commander Zhao…" the old man began.

Zhao cut him off.

"And Prince Zuko, it was a _noble_ effort. But your little smoke screen didn't work. My, my. Two traitors in one day; the Fire Lord will be pleased."

Abe motioned Kayo forward, and Kayo forcibly grabbed the Prince, trapping his hands behind his back, resisting Zuko's futile attempts to break free.

"You're too late, Zhao. The Avatar's inside and the doors are sealed," he spat defiantly.

"No matter. Sooner or later, he must come out."

Zhao gestured us in front of the door, and we lined up, readying our firebending. Zhao stood at the center, glaring at the massive, intricate doors in contempt. Kayo joined the line after tying Prince Zuko to the pillar, and the two water tribe kids glanced at each other in fear. There were seven of us in the front line, and the four others stood behind us in a secondary line.

We collectively assumed the standard firebending form.

"When those doors open, unleash all your firebending power."

"How's Aang going to make it out of this?" whispered the girl.

"How are _we_ gonna make it out of this?" her brother asked indignantly.

We stood in front of the doors, waiting for the slightest movement. Inside the chamber, a single, muffled voice spoke, the words unintelligible.

Then, a low voice that seemed to be made of many spoke in remarkable clarity.

"_**I'm Ready."**_

A blinding white light emanated from the door, and a violent wind began whipping out of the closed doors. I shut my eyes against the wild brightness, and startled gasps resounded from some of my comrades.

"Ready…" Zhao muttered.

The white light faded and the doors began to slowly open with a groan. Inside the chamber, all was dark, except for a pair of glowing, blue eyes that glared at us. Shock ran through my body, and I began to truly fear for my life as the glaring eyes seemed to penetrate my very soul.

"No! Aang!" The girl screamed, desperation filling her voice.

"Fire!" Zhao shouted.

Together, we extended our fists, sending simultaneous jets of fire into the sanctuary. I put all my energy into the blast, and the heat emanated through my uniform, causing me to sweat in both heat and fear. Then, the fire jets converged on the Avatar's spot and began to form into a fiery sphere.

He's firebending, I thought to myself. I thought he was only partially realized.

Then, the fire broke for a moment, and the glaring visage of Avatar Roku stared out at us, and shock registered through my body. I recognized the man from some old scrolls and stories, but everyone knew the famous story of how Sozin defeated the Avatar more than a hundred years ago.

Then, Roku drew the fire towards him and released it towards us in a single, fluid movement, hurling us backwards several feet. The intense heat on my chest burned badly, and I patted the flames out quickly, looking back up at Roku in complete and utter fear.

The bonds around Zuko and the other prisoners had broken, and Zuko and the other Fire Sages scurried away, scared for their lives. The temple began shaking violently, and the bright blue glow had spread to Roku's entire body. Then Roku swiped his right arm towards the ground, causing the floor of the temple to crack and shake violently. Then, he slowly raised his arms, and molten lava began seeping out of the bottom as it sprayed everywhere.

"Get back to the boats! He's burning the place down!" bellowed Kaito. We scrambled to our feet and sprinted towards the stairs, fear making us run faster. As we ran down the first flight of steps, I could still barely hear the conversation inside the room.

"Avatar Roku is going to destroy the temple! We need to get out of here!" shouted the traitorous monk in fear.

"Not without Aang!" returned the young girl, determination in her voice.

We sprinted down the stairs in terrified fear as magma exploded from every crack and crevice. Cracks formed in the stairs, and we jumped over widening gaps, the blazing heat of lava cooking us alive in our sweltering uniforms. The bottom floor came nearer and nearer, and my heart beat faster than it ever had before.

The raw, destructive power that that young boy wielded was awe inspiring and terrifying. My primary concern, however, was getting out of the Temple alive. After what seemed like an eternity of sprinting, we emerged into the cool air and ran down to the shore, the concussive sound of the Temple falling into ruin no longer thundering in our ears.

I dropped to a crouch, panting heavily. The others collapsed in exhaustion, and Zhao simply stood in stunned silence as magma burst from the top of the Temple and flowed out of the windows as the tall temple slowly sank into the ground.

Breathing heavily, Sergeant Abe walked up to the Commander.

"What… what are your orders, sir?"

The Commander stared angrily at the Temple.

"Get back on the ship," he said, staring at the group of Fire Sages in disgust, "And bring our _friends_ with us."

We grabbed the Fire Sages and shoved them up the gangplank, ignoring their protests. The Commander strode angrily up the gangplank onto the deck and we pushed the prisoners in front of us, ignoring our tired and burned bodies in fear of the Commander's notorious temper.

"Bind their hands," he muttered.

We cuffed them with steel manacles from our belts and we lined them up, watching the distant Temple as it slowly collapsed. Then, miraculously, the Bison emerged out of nowhere, collected a few distant dots, and flew past us towards the distant horizon. We stood in stunned silence, amazed that anything had made it out of the molten inferno.

Zhao turned to watch the Bison fly away.

"No Prince, No Avatar. Apparently, the only thing I _do_ have is five traitors."

The old man, who looked scared to death, stepped forward, shaking visibly. We stood around the prisoners at rigid attention, unmoving.

"But… Commander. Only Shyu helped the Avatar," he said, a pleading hope remaining in his voice.

I mentally shook my head. The Commander was not known for being merciful. Especially when he was in a mood like this.

"Save your stories for the Fire Lord. As far as I'm concerned, you're all GUILTY! Take them to the Prison Hold!" he spat in disgust, stalking towards the bridge.

* * *

As we guided the five old men towards the stockade, we all took our helmets off, gratefully breathing the fresh air once again. As the ship shuddered into life towards the direction where the Avatar left, we were all grimly silent, ignoring the prisoner's protests as we locked them in their cells.

Then, as we returned to our quarters, we all simply collapsed in bed, in shock from the pure, raw power that the Avatar had displayed and the close proximity to molten rock that we had all just escaped from.

As I drifted to sleep, exhaustion, drained adrenaline, and pure fatigue gripping my body, I could only think of one fact that I had previously known but had just been undeniably confirmed.

The Avatar was back.

* * *

**Next Chapter: Zhao's Fleet scours the earth, chasing rumors and fleeting glimpses of the eternally elusive Avatar. The Avatar and his friends make rapid progress, fighting Pirates, fighting alongside the infamous Freedom Fighters, crossing the Great Divide, and surviving a massive storm. Meanwhile, Zhao's fleet makes its way to the Pohuai Stronghold, home of the famous Yuyan Archers. **

**As usual, thanks for reading guys. I wrote this chapter really quickly because I got really excited, so I apologize if there are any major mistakes. I self-edited as best I could, so here's the newest chapter. **

**Thanks for Reading,**

**IGdude117**


	20. Chapter 20: Liberation Day

142 AG

I've elected to put a hold on recalling old war stories to tell you how I am feeling at this given moment. I apologize if this philosophical waxing from an old, tired veteran tires you, but as today is laden with many memories, I feel that I have no choice but to express my emotions the only way I truly can these days; by writing.

Today is the Forty-Second Anniversary of the Great Liberation. Outside, in my hometown, the people are lining the streets, watching the parade roll by, waving flags of the Five Nations victoriously as they celebrate the day that the world stood up to a madman and said "no".

I watched some of it, but the memories today are too numerous, and no one wants to see an old timer like me sobbing outside.

When we came home, they spat on us.

We had returned from our prison sentences; the smaller ones. We filed onto the harbor at the Capital Docks to be greeted by a crowd of angry people. We were war criminals, and as we walked through, escorted by guards towards the Capital City to receive pardons, they spat on us in disgust. And we simply pushed through, all fifty-six of us, all convicted because of horrific war criminals.

You could say we deserved it, but the psychological damage that was done to me that day stayed with me for many years.

Through my years of fighting—struggling through the trenches around Ba Sing Se, fighting the Avatar endless times, battling the waterbenders in the Northern Siege, and fighting against an encroaching army of hate-filled rebels, I fought for these people. Every time a friend would go down screaming as rock-spikes stabbed through his armor, or every time I saw a platoon of Infantry get washed away and drowned alive by an apathetic Waterbender, I kept one fact in my mind; what I did, I did for my Nation. I did it to protect those I loved from harm. I did it for the glory of my people, for the glory of the Great Fire Nation.

Of course, I also did it for the Fire Lord, which was misguided propaganda to say the least, but at the end of the day, I did it for my fellow citizens.

You don't know how much it hurt to have the people I sacrificed so much for spit on me like I was common vermin.

Today is also the Earth Kingdom's Independence Day. It is ironic that the people here cheer and celebrate when in the Earth Kingdom, they raise glasses and curse our names in a semi-joking matter. They raise glasses to cries of "Long Live the Avatar" and "Down with the Fire Nation"; words that used to carry more meaning forty six years ago, and now serve as an inside joke of sorts.

Tonight, I'm going to go out with some of the other veterans from around here, including my wife, walk down the street to the tavern where Okada sobbed hysterically all those years ago, and get thoroughly, unequivocally, drunk. We'll swap war stories whilst in a thick stupor, then, when we've talked and drunk all through the night, we'll part with one final round, raise our glasses, and proclaim:

"To the Fire Nation!"

Then, we'll return home, and sleep, and hopefully put the nightmares of our past aside.

Yet, as I write this, I realize that this sort of remembrance is fundamentally flawed. On that night, we relive the horrors of our past, often shared horrors, and raise glasses to how things used to be; when we were once a proud, young nation that rose from the ashes of scorn and conquered the entire world, the strongest nation in the world.

That was when we were misguided.

We are by no means a perfect Nation. We have our own issues that remain. The Earth Kingdom squabbles over minor border arrangements, and the conflict between the Pirate Fleets and our own military grows more and more unpopular by the day.

But we are, for once, free. The way we used to live, the misguided days of thinking we were superior to everyone else, that the world deserved to be conquered, are gone. Fire Lord Zuko rules with benevolence and generosity where his father ruled with anger and malice. Our military is no longer engaged in conquering hapless villages, but is, if we are to believe reports from the frontlines, engaging the Pirate Fleets in an attempt to end their selfish and destructive desires. And this time, our military fights _alongside_ armies from the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, and the United Republic. We are but one part in the moving gears of freedom.

Once, we were spit on for being monsters and demons for simply doing our duty in protecting our Nation. And that was a feeling I wouldn't wish even on my greatest enemy.

But if we are to truly heal and move on, we must accept that where we are right now and what we do right now is the only thing that truly matters. Remembering the past is an important aspect of accepting grief, but it should not be the only one.

Fire Lord Zuko is the greatest thing that happened to this Nation as Avatar Aang was the greatest thing to happen to this world. We owe both of them our very way of life, and those that curse the Avatar's names are misguided fools.

So it is now in respect to Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko, Master Katara, Councilman Sokka, Chief Beifong, and Master Suki that I say—Long Live the Fire Nation, and Long Live the Four Nations.

And to you, dear readers, who have stuck with me through this tale of bloodshed and violence, I just want to apologize for possibly depressing you with this very depressing story, but also to say thank you for your loyalty and to have a very happy Liberation Day.

* * *

**Sorry for depressing you guys on a holiday, but I think its important for people to realize _why_ we as Americans celebrate Independence Day and what it is exactly that we are celebrating. To those of you from the USA, Happy Fourth of July, and to those of you not from the USA, I hope you have a fantastic day today and I apologize for the sudden influx of American patriotism. **

**Next chapter (as I said last time), our protagonist will join the Hunt for the Avatar, and fates begin to collide as the Blue Spirit makes his first appearance in a daring escape attempt. Then, our protagonist will join Admiral Zhao as he encounters old teachers and begins hatching his greatest plan yet. **

**As usual, thank you all so much for being so kind and supportive. Reviews really do help a lot. I guess a lot of people do this, so I have a few shoutouts (although this is of course not a complete list).**

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**Suvorov- Thanks for consistently reading this stories and trading stories and info about WW2 with me; It's been a genuine pleasure. **

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**algebra123230- Thanks for pointing out the many continuity errors and mistakes that I have. I'm kind of an impulsive, egotistical writer that likes getting his work out ASAP, but I really appreciate your constructive criticism. And the fact that you've hopped ship to this story after my "Old Friends" piece. **

* * *

**warsage- Thanks for reading all my stuff. I know I haven't sent a PM to you like the others, but just know that your reviews are very reassuring. **

* * *

**Lolcano- Thanks also for being a loyal reader and responding to my PMs. Beside the fact that I liked your story and your profile pic makes me smile, your reviews are very reassuring and I appreciate the conversations that we've had. Thank You.**

* * *

**RakshaDemon- Thanks for the intriguing conversations and for the interesting conversations. You're also a faithful reader, and I appreciate it a lot. **

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**Forgive me if this was bloated or egotistical, but just know that I truly appreciate all you guys and the time you take to read through my humble stories. It's been really fun writing things for this fantastic fandom that I truly love, and it's been great talking with people that share a common passion with me. **

**Thank You very much for reading, **

**IGdude117**


	21. Chapter 21: Man or Madman?

In my many attempts, throughout this account, to dramatize the very real events of my life (as unbelievable as they may be), it occurs to me that the thing that is truly important is not the pure, unadulterated action. It is the accounts of the _people _involved. In the times before known history, when Men and Spirits wandered the tumultuous wastes of the world side by side, it was the accounts of _people_ that moved mountains.

So, in my descriptions of my past experiences, I will attempt to address the people who, today, are consigned to history books and cautionary tales.

This, of course, is on my daughter's suggestion, and I will comply, as she's sold more stories than I.

My first subject, the self-proclaimed Moon Slayer, the Champion of the Fire Nation, met an untimely demise at the Northern Water Tribe.

His name was Zhao.

How does one describe the Great Admiral Zhao?

Such a feat, you'd think, would be impossible.

In reality, however, I believe that Zhao was as insecure, as scared, and as… normal as any of us.

Why, you may ask, do I take such an interest in such an obviously maniacal man? How can I not? I served under Commander, then Admiral Zhao for a brief period, yet I saw him when he was at his most devoted. When his singular drive to capture the Avatar began to elope even the famed Prince's drive.

Of course, Zhao's very honor and livelihood didn't rest on the Avatar's capture, but something else very vital lay on his shoulders.

Commander Zhao was born in the year 59 AG to famed Naval Commander Hui Zhao. Naval Commander Hui Zhao distinguished himself in service to Fire Lord Azulon for many years, leading the Northeastern Fleet to hundreds of victories against the Earth Kingdom's naval flotillas.

Hui Zhao, however, was a militaristic, cruel man, and his son was born out of necessity. Every high ranking officer in the Navy was expected to have a son in the military, so Hui Zhao complied.

"_Zhao spent every day of his childhood ceaselessly training in firebending and military strategy. His contact with his father was minimal, and the one parent that could have prevented this madman's eventual grab for ultimate power, Zhao's mother, died giving birth to him. As a result of his mother's death, Zhao saw his father only rarely, and both his father and himself blamed  
Zhao for his mother's death. _

_By the time he was 12, he began training with Admiral Jeong Jeong, who had taken an extended leave to teach firebending to sons of noble birth. It was here that Zhao met Ozai for the first time."_

_-Professor Zou, 'Zhao: The Moon Slayer'_

Professor Zou's fantastic account, while controversial, is well researched. There were many scholars in the Water Tribe and the Earth Kingdom that took great issue with the Zou's proposed history of one of the most infamous Fire Nation officers during the war, but, in Zou's own words, "The point of acknowledging a madman's life is to avoid making the same mistakes".

Wise words.

* * *

Admiral Jeong Jeong, a high-profile officer in his own right, was brought back to the Fire Nation for a brief period on Fire Lord Azulon's orders in order to train a group of nobleman's sons in the Royal Palace. Commander Hui Zhao's performance with the Northeastern Fleet resulted in his son being invited to train in the Palace. Such a high honor was, of course, impossible to refuse, and Zhao was sent to the Palace to train.

It was here that he struck up a friendship with the young Prince Ozai. The two boys, both the top of the class, trained their way into adulthood and forged a bond during their early years that was thought by both to be unbreakable.

"_It is Ozai who should be leading our Nation in this war. His older brother is a buffoon. That tea-loving idiot has no idea how this Nation should be run. His father, the Fire Lord, is also beginning to show weakness. There are some that would call me a despicable traitor for calling the Venerated Fire Lord weak, but it is simply the truth. Victory cannot be achieved without an aggressive and ruthless man like Ozai. A skilled Firebender, and a good friend, I have the utmost confidence that Ozai can lead our Nation into glory."_

Apprentice Zhao wrote that a few days after his seventeenth birthday.

Unfortunately, their friendship was not to last. Upon Azulon's death, Ozai took the throne, and the once stalwart friendship between the now-promoted First Lieutenant Zhao and the Fire Lord was strained as Ozai cut off any communication between the two.

* * *

In the years after Lieutenant Zhao's brief service in the Siege of Ba Sing Se, he distinguished himself, like his father, in his ability to outmaneuver and eradicate the remnants of the Earth Kingdom Navy.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain after commanding his Interceptor, the _Wrath of Kazuto_, in the pivotal engagement in the Mo Ce campaigns in and around the waters near the colony of Yu Dao.

He sailed with Admiral Fong's Western Fleet for several more years, and earned the rank of Commander after single-handedly defeating the last Earth Kingdom Fleet in Western waters with only three ships.

From there, Zhao was assigned to the Southwestern Theater, where my squad and I were later assigned.

* * *

I often wondered whether men like Zhao or Ozai _could_ have been good. Their being good would have certainly saved many lives, and it would have probably kept a fair share of blood off my hands.

I was speaking to Fire Lord Zuko the other day, and we got to talking about Zou's book on Zhao. Both of us had come into close contact with the Admiral, the pivotal difference being that I helped him and Zuko fought against him.

We got to reminiscing about the Northern Siege, and he related to me the story of his showdown with Zhao in the Frozen North.

"_It was like something from a nightmare,"_ the Fire Lord says, his scar ominously cast into shadow by the flickering fireplace.

"_We were trading fireblasts back and forth, screaming profanity and accusation at each other, hatred flowing through our veins. The pure darkness brought on by the absence of the moon, Zhao's horrible legacy, cast everything into pure black and white- as if the world had become a photograph. Then, out of nowhere, the moon returned, and the rich blue of our surroundings returned. _

_Zhao was in shock, but neither of us had a chance to react before some glowing water grabbed the man. _

_No matter how much I hated him, my instincts kicked in, and I tried to save the man. He tried to take my hand at first, but then he withdrew and looked at me in distaste. Then, like that, he was swallowed up by the glowing water, never to be seen again."_

I identify with the Fire Lord's dilemma back then a lot. The man, no matter how much I hated him for turning me into a monster, possessed an admirable amount of intelligence, cunning, and determination. Perhaps if his mother had lived, if Ozai hadn't abandoned him, if…

It is pointless to ponder the past, but this much I know; Zhao, for better or for worse, is a part of my history. Misunderstood and frustrated with life he may have been, he still got his wish. To this day, every textbook in the world tells the story of Zhao, the Moon Slayer.

* * *

To return to my retelling of my story, however, I am afraid my memory once again deserts me. I remember the general details. And I promise you that this is not some ploy to avoid telling the full story. As I've said before, I can remember many details about the majority of my military career. Yet much still escapes my remembrance, much to my chagrin.

After the Winter Solstice, we traveled to the Pohuai Stronghold, chasing rumors, to which I humbly supply Tamura's clear explanations to fill in some of the gaps.

* * *

"_The Reappearance of the Avatar after a hundred years of devastating war had immediate and sudden repercussions on the morale of the Earth Kingdom. The Avatar, upon his escape from Admiral Zhao at Avatar Roku's Island, did many new things that spread his already known fame throughout the Earth Kingdom. _

_The first of these was Avatar Aang's run in with the infamous Ogawa Pirate Gang. Upon visiting the seaport city of Daikeng, Avatar Aang and his compatriots entered Ogawa's ship, and Master Katara expressed interest in a stolen Waterbending Scroll from the Northern Water Tribe. The scroll, which had been taken from the immensely talented Master Nilak's library, was immensely valuable. Master Katara, expressing her desire to learn advanced waterbending moves and to teach Aang waterbending moves, "borrowed" the scroll from the Ogawa Pirate Gang, resulting in a lengthy street chase. The Avatar, however, escaped, but was eventually captured by Prince Zuko, who worked in conjunction with the Pirates. The encounter ended in a chaotic battle between all three parties, and the Avatar slipped away. His standing up to the feared Ogawa Gang, however, earned him widespread respect and fame, and the Avatar's story began to be told all over the world. _

_The encounter with feared guerilla fighter "Jet" a few weeks later also earned the Avatar much respect, as well as recognition for his two companions, Master Katara and Warrior Sokka. Stumbling across an ambush against a large contingent of Fire Nation soldiers who were scouring the woods in an effort to root out the Freedom Fighters, Jet and his guerilla army saved the Avatar and eventually convinced him to join their cause. Due to Master Katara and Aang's skill with waterbending, Jet utilized them in an attempt to blow the Zhang Hue Dam and flood the city of Sanping, which had fallen under Fire Nation control several years ago. Thanks to the efforts of Sokka, however, the local populace was warned of the impending catastrophe and the Freedom Fighters were routed by a concentrated Fire Nation counterattack that scattered the organization. This earned the Avatar some negative fame, as some began to wonder whether the Avatar had intentionally vanished to help give the Fire Nation the upper hand. _

_These acts, while drawing fame to the Avatar's return and boosting morale throughout the Free Nations, drew negative attention in the form of Fire Nation retaliation. The Avatar's arrival in any town or village resulted in updated, real time intelligence from the plethora of Fire Nation agents and informants scattered throughout the Earth Kingdom. Prince Zuko, who relentlessly pursued the Avatar, as was his charge, was usually the closest, but close behind him, with vastly superior manpower, resources, and networking was Commander Zhao, who had taken it upon himself to hunt the Avatar. _

_The Avatar later crossed the Great Divide with a couple of warring tribes, and survived the famous He-Ping Typhoon which ravaged the countryside."_

_Tamura, "A History of the World," Volume 4, page 56._

* * *

Our arrival to Pohuai Stronghold had carried the purpose of enlisting the help of the Yuyan Archers for our cause. The majority of our previous strength had been ordered back to Nandao Harbor by the Commander, and Zhao arrived in the Stronghold with his singular goal of taking the Yuyan Archers and finding the Avatar.

Surprisingly, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral by his old friend, Ozai, who had apparently received our messages.

Zhao's promotion kicked off a flurry of activity, and the Pohuai Territory was restructured to find the Avatar, a system of lookouts and outposts established throughout the land to ensure that the Avatar's presence would be detected and dealt with in close order. The Yuyan Archers were briefed on their new roles and our squad continued guarding Zhao, in the absence of anything else to do.

To our surprise, the Avatar was brought in as a prisoner, and we were tasked with guarding him, too.

Had it not been for the Blue Spirit, we would have succeeded.

If I could, I would provide a lengthy discourse into the dramatic details of that entire encounter, but my memory is not quite what it used to be. All I basically remember is that I was overpowered by the Blue Spirit, and that the Avatar eventually broken out of the Stronghold and freed by the mysterious foe.

After our failure to apprehend the Avatar, we paid a visit to one of the northern villages that laid several miles from the shores of the Northern Seas. After a peculiar report including a giant bison and a child with an arrow, we were pointed towards a secluded hideout where the famed deserter, Jeong Jeong, was taking refuge from the Fire Nation.

We understandably were struck with no small level of fear upon setting eyes on the face that we had seen so commonly on wanted posters throughout the Occupied Territories. Jeong Jeong the Deserter, as they called him, was legendary for his unparalleled skill with firebending and his tactical genius.

He, the Avatar, and Zhao got into an intense duel while we attempted to capture the man.

I will never forget the moment as my squad members and I surrounded him, with some other spearmen, and he bended a colossal sphere of fire and miraculously disappeared.

We scoured the forest for him as Zhao burned our own ships to the ground in hate-fuelled rage, and we were subsequently forced to walk back to our ship through the thick jungle.

* * *

Our journey ended upon our arrival to Takang Naval Base in the far North, where Fire Nation forces had been assembled to keep an eye on the Northern Water Tribe's activities. Our ship arrived there in poor spirits, and all of the crew, as well as my squad, were depressed by the lack of progress and the string of defeats that had been heaped upon us.

Zhao, however, pressed forward endlessly, his eyes set on another target: The Northern Water Tribe.

* * *

**Hi guys. **

**I know that it's been FOREVER since I've last updated this story. My unfortunate habit of procrastinating caught up with me, and my load of summer work has unceremoniously come crashing down alongside with my college visits and my impending marching band camp. **

**As for my writing, I've been otherwise occupied, and I want to express my utmost apologies. I've been going through a massive amount of writer's block with this story, and I've actually gone through three or four drafts of this chapter, each of which were scrapped completely. I am aware that this chapter may not be as good as the others, but it's the best I've been able to come up with, and to be honest I had no idea what I was going to do for the parts between the Winter Solstice episode and the Siege of the North episodes. **

**Unfortunately, the bad news does not end there. My endless list of obligations will be starting soon, and my writing may become even more sparse, and I apologize for that. I hope I'm not betraying your trust by this new development, but please know that I am working on this story and that more will be added as I complete it. I am determined, however, that this story will NOT end up like my ill-fated Killzone/Avatar crossover. I'm not abandoning this story, it will just be some time before the next installment arrives. If you choose to give up on reading my fic or cease to follow my fic for this very reason, please know that I understand completely. I know that the initial charm of this story has been somewhat diluted recently, and I am trying my best to return to the style of the earlier chapters. **

**If you've followed this story through its length so far, please know that you have my eternal gratitude. Those of you who choose to comment and offer constructive suggestions or general comments, thank you for your attention to detail and your kindness (I really should get a Beta). **

**Thank You and Stay Tuned, **

**IGdude117**


	22. Chapter 22: A New Target

**A/N: Thank You to RakshaDemon, my new Beta Reader. **

* * *

We were always taught that our Nation was superior to all others.

Of course, as children, we took this information in eagerly, and reciting the Fire Nation Pledge with the most accuracy resulted in a free meal of bean buns, courtesy of the Academy.

Yet we never really came into contact with the enemy, I suppose. The ideas that were shoved into our brains, the terrifying stories of the Dirt Peasants that ate their children, the barbarians of the North that sold their daughters to old men and their sons to the military, and the rubes of the South that danced in primal rituals of fur and meat.

We were taught from a young age that it was our duty to give all we had, all we were, every iota of our essence, over to our country. Our teachers told us that the greatest thing we could give to the Homeland was our blood.

It was expected of us by the Fire Lord, we were told. The Fire Lord, the master of the world, the divine on earth, he who was _always_ right, commanded us to subjugate the inferior peasants of the world in the Fire Nation's name. We were taught that we, the sons and daughters of the Fire Nation, were bringing enlightenment and civilization to the savage masses.

What struck me, however, was how untrue these lessons were.

Sure, some of the rumors were true. Yes, the majority of the Earth Kingdom was made of farmers and villagers who wanted nothing more than to live their life normally.

Sure, the nobles of Ba Sing Se bound their daughters' feet in an effort to make them more desirable.

But never did I see Earth Kingdom citizens eating each other, nor Northern Water Tribesmen dancing in animal skins around a fire.

We were taught that the entire world bowed down to us in respect, for we were the Superior Element and such was our Divine Purpose; ruling the world.

It wasn't respect I saw in the faces of every Earth Kingdom village we raided whenever we marched in.

We were also taught that the peasants of the Earth Kingdom were backwards savages that scrabbled through the dirt for dragon bones and bound their daughter's feet in order to attract suitors.

Every time I fought against the Earth Kingdom on the fields of Ba Sing Se, I didn't see savages, however. I saw determined, brave, and worthy soldiers that fought for their country and put up the greatest fight they could in the face of our Army.

It was through my experiences fighting with the elite forces of the Earth King in the Siege that I gained a great respect for the enemies. I began to question whether anything I had heard about the enemy was true. I began to question whether I was simply a terrible, imperialistic barbarian who blindly followed the orders of some far-off politicians.

Perhaps, I began to think, the Northern Water Tribe is not as savage as they make it sound.

* * *

Takang Naval Base is, truth be told, a completely dismal place to inhabit. The environment is cold, unforgiving, and barren, and, reading back on the sporadic journal entries I recorded, my younger self thought so as well.

_99 A.G- Takang Naval Base, Day Three_

_It is… cold here. That is the best I can describe it. Snow covers everything nine times out of ten, and the brief moments where the snow thaws reveal a barren and gray wasteland. The poor bastards who are stationed here are miserable, and rightly so. I can see the draining morale in all of us. _

_Admiral Zhao saw fit to bring us here, and he has not told us why as of yet. We pull long stints of guard duty outside the Admiral's tent as he meets with the generals that are stationed here, and we gossip. _

_Matsui was the one to suggest that he may be planning to attack the Northern Water Tribe, and we mostly agree. Koichi joked that if we don't do something soon, he'll save the Northern Warriors the trouble and jump in the waters. He also joked that they'd have a pair of meatballs to feast on as well. That got a laugh from the rest of us, and made Zhao poke his head out in annoyance. Hopefully he won't mention this in his report. I also hope he didn't hear Matsui when he was singing the song that involved our great commander and his perilous efforts to dishonor a Water Tribe girl. _

* * *

_99 A.G- Takang Naval Base, Day Four_

_We are going to invade the Northern Water Tribe. _

_The Admiral pulled me aside this morning and asked me if I could send another message via messenger hawk, using the Seiji Code back from the Ba Sing Se days. It was a general message to all the generals and commanders in Northern Earth Kingdom, requesting that they join him for a war meeting in the base. _

_He briefed us later, and revealed the secret he had been keeping for so long. _

_Zhao knows how to kill the moon spirit. _

_He told us that he had found a forbidden library of sorts in the Si Wong Desert when General Shu's task force was en route to assist in the Siege. He told us of an ancient scroll that depicted two fish, one black and one white, circling each other. _

_Some of us (Koba and Shuen, mainly) dismissed it, but if it's true… _

_I've always heard stories about how Waterbenders became stronger at night, and how, on full moons, they could do miraculous things. _

_If we could eliminate that factor, then Ba Sing Se will be the only obstacle to our victory in this war. _

_For the first time, victory is within our grasp. If we can pull this off, then perhaps I can see Ayako, Mother, Father, and my village once more. _

_If what the Admiral says is true, there is nothing in this world or the Spirit's that will stop me from winning this damned war. _

* * *

_99 A.G- Takang Naval Base, Day Five_

_The last of the generals arrived this afternoon, and the meeting went far into the evening. From the bits and pieces we heard, the plan is progressing well. According to Hide, they're pulling in a large shipment of some cutting edge technology from some crazy inventor working for us. Called "Tundra Tanks", they're supposed to be agile but well-armored motorized carriages with spiked wheels and grappling hooks. _

_Sergeant Abe said that he had a buddy that had been at the Northern Air Temple when the Avatar and the crazy inventor tried to fight us off. He said that the tanks fared extremely well, but that they were weak to waterbending. _

_Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn't it? _

_According to Hide, and judging by the sheer number of generals that have been coming and going, Zhao's putting together a force that may very well rival the one we brought to Ba Sing Se. I've been translating messages full time now, as most of the message specialists here don't read Seiji Code. I've read so many confirmation letters and troop movements that if someone decided to interrogate me now; I'd compromise the entire Northern Front. _

_Morale is higher now, however. Word has gotten out, somehow (definitely not from us, we'd be executed if we said anything), and the guys from the 312__th__ Regiment have been much happier lately. _

_This is our chance to end this war that's been dragging on for an entire Century. This is our chance to win. _

_Yet… I feel no sense of happiness. When I had originally joined the Imperial Firebenders, I thought that it would be a life of glory, honor, and acclaim. I figured that I'd be the most popular guy whenever it was that I got home. _

_This life is nothing like my fantasies. I'm so lonely. As I walk down the aisles of tents, I see the regular soldiers, the rank and file, playing Pai Sho, singing songs, playing Tsungi Horns, or playing games of Gongji. And I miss that. _

_In Ba Sing Se, in the trenches around the city, we used to sit in our dugouts, or watch the distant lines and do things like that. I remember when Sakai used to tell us stories of aristocratic life in the City, or the shenanigans he used to get into in the Royal Academy. _

_I remember Okada playing his lute, which he always said came from a more-than friendly Earth Kingdom soldier, and singing bawdy songs about girls from Ba Sing Se._

_Now, it is forbidden to associate with the normal soldiers. We have to be formal, uniform, and faceless in everything we do. It's been months since I sent a letter home or talked to anyone that wasn't in my squad. _

_This is not what I thought it would be. _

* * *

As the days wore on, more and more ships began to arrive. When we had first arrived, the docks of Takang were filled with three medium cruisers that belonged to the raiding forces that pulled off hit and run assaults on the Northern Tribe. Throughout the course of the week, the number kept steadily increasing until every pier was docked to a medium cruiser, and scores more waited at anchor in the surrounding docks.

Zhao had directed me to be a personal communications officer of sorts, and I spent my time going among the different ships and teaching the communications officers about the Seiji Code. I also took some time to familiarize myself with the Standard Naval Flag Signals that the Navy dogs use to signal each other.

By my unofficial count, the force that had gathered was roughly the size of one and a half Army Groups; to compare, we used three plus a plethora of auxiliary forces in the Siege.

There were six nonbending Infantry Regiments that had reported under General Yoji, each one well equipped and prepared for cold weather combat. Most of the Infantrymen were hardened veterans, fresh from the chaotic pacification campaigns in the Earth Kingdom. Among them was the elite 105th Infantry Regiment, which had been in the same Army Group as my old Firebending Regiment. Seeing that gave me great faith that we had a strong core to the Army, and Zhao seemed pleased by the turnout.

The main bulk, however, of the Army Group were four Firebender Regiments straight from the Southern Earth Kingdom Campaign. These were supported by top of the line Tundra Tank units, many of which had transferred directly from Colonel Naota's 1st Mechanized Regiment, which had fought against the Avatar in the Battle of the Northern Air Temple. Although the Mechanist, the inventor of the tanks, had turned against the Fire Nation, his designs, and designs for hundreds upon hundreds of military vehicles, had been recovered by Fire Nation engineers and were being mass produced back in the homeland.

For Zhao, these units represented cold, calculated strategy; these men, in his eyes, were here for a singular purpose and for him, whether they lived or died was inconsequential. These men, however, were more than numbers on a page.

Every day, as I walked to my various posts, I'd secretly become fascinated by the blurbs of conversation and the brief glimpses into the lives of normal soldiers; a life that I had lost a long time ago. The experience was almost surreal; the things these men talked about mirrored life in the trenches almost exactly.

The smallest things would bring the greatest fascination. A few men petted a wolf-cat. A group of firebenders laughing about last night's Beetle-crab match. A couple of men in the Artillery Corps uniform, discussing the capabilities of a standard trebuchet in cold weather. A collection of nonbender infantrymen, leaning on their spears, sipping at warm broth in the brisk weather.

* * *

During one of my admittedly rare rest periods, I went to the main camp where the new regiments were staying in order to take the pulse, so to speak, of the army. To my surprise, however, I ran into an old friend from the siege, a good soldier, who had been in Fourth Squad, whom I had talked with extensively as we watched over No Man's Land all those years ago in Ba Sing Se.

When I saw him, sitting by a fire, I was extremely surprised, and I ran to greet him. He was similarly surprised, and we embraced.

"Qin Lee? Spirits, it's been a long time since I've seen you."

"I didn't expect to see you here, Gao. What are you doing here? And you're a Lieutenant now? Damn, you've been quick."

Gao laughed, tapping his Lieutenant's bars.

"I've been trying, believe it or not, since the Siege. And even if I'm a Lieutenant, that doesn't make me as good as an Imperial Firebender. I can't say I'm surprised, though. Everyone always knew that you were going places."

I thanked him, simply happy to see one of my old friends again.

"Hey, do you know what happened to the rest of the Company? I've been stuck here without communication for too long."

Gao's smile faded.

"Well, we're completely split up now. Captain Jirou got promoted to a Colonel after the Battle of Lingcun, and now he's off in the Earth Kingdom somewhere, leading his own regiment. Most of the other guys got assigned back to the Homeland, however. Apparently there was threat of a coup or something, so the Fire Lord decided to pull the remnants of the Siege Army and bolster the Domestic Forces."

"You don't happen to know where the rest of my squad is? Fujiko and Keita?"

Gao thought for a moment, looking perplexed.

"Oh yeah… the pretty girl and that one guy who used to spout propaganda, right? Last I heard, they got transferred to the garrison at the Boiling Rock prison. Damn unlucky posting, if you ask me…"

"That's the prison, right?"

"Yeah."

We talked for a while longer, catching up on our lives and reminiscing about the good old days. Of course, I could only say so much, due to my oath, but we talked anyways. After a while, a soldier came and told Gao that he was needed in the regimental Command Post. He stood, stretched, and wrapped me in a bear hug again.

"It's good to see you, Qin Lee. You take care of yourself. Those Northern Savages won't last a minute against us. If we could take down the walls of Ba Sing Se, then some petty ice won't do a thing against fire. I'll meet up with you once this siege is over."

"You're buying the drinks, though," I grinned.

* * *

A few days later, I and a few others accompanied the Admiral on his flagship, _Sozin's Pride_. He refused to tell us our destination, but when we pulled alongside a familiar light interceptor, I knew that Zhao had come with business.

"Watch the crew. I'll talk to the Prince. Make sure they don't go anywhere."

Matsui and I followed the Admiral down the gangplank towards the other ship, where a small collection of sailors, including the General, waited for us. Strangely, the crew held various instruments, and a small fire flickered on the deck from a brazier. We flanked Zhao on either side as he strode on the ship, arrogantly.

"Admiral Zhao. It is a pleasure to welcome you on this ship. I must congratulate you on your promotion."

"My thanks, General. I'm not sure if you've heard, but I'm planning a large expedition to the North Pole. I need reliable officers by my side, and you are one of the most gifted strategists in the military. Or, you were, before your… misjudgment. I'd like to offer you a place on my High Command."

The General looked perplexed and conflicted. He stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Your offer, Admiral, while tempting, is impossible. I'm afraid I must refuse."

The Admiral sighed slightly.

"Very well, General. If you would escort me to wherever your nephew is currently, I have business with Prince Zuko."

The Admiral waved towards us, indicating that we should stay here. Then, the General and the Admiral entered the deck's door, disappearing.

The crew stared at us with hostility as Matsui and I stood on either side of the gangplank, waiting for any indication that something was amiss. After a while, a man with Lieutenant's bars set down a lute and walked over.

We would normally have saluted, but the members of the Prince's crew were, by formal military tradition, privates. However, unofficial respect was often given to high ranking officers serving under banished commanders, as each officer and crewman volunteered for duty or were assigned the duty by the High Command.

"What is the meaning of this? Why is Admiral Zhao here? What could you possibly want? We're cooperating with Zhao's mandate. We're not interfering with the search for the Avatar…"

"I'm sorry, Lieutenant. That is forbidden information. Please return to your men."

"I see you have no respect for rank, _Corporal_," the Lieutenant said, looking pointedly at my Corporal's chevrons on my collar.

Bristling, I turned the other collar into the firelight, revealing the embossed, golden, three tipped fire emblem with eagle wings that belonged to the Imperial Firebenders. The Lieutenant's eyes widened for a moment, and then he glared again.

"Just because you're with the Imperial Firebenders doesn't mean that you can ignore military convention. I didn't go through Ba Sing Se and the Waoling Campaign to get talked down to by a corporal."

Matsui growled in anger, and a faint wisp of steam escaped from his curled fist.

"Watch your tongue, _Lieutenant_. You're traveling with a banished Prince. You deserve no respect."

The Lieutenant growled threateningly, and Matsui started forward, and the Prince's crew stood angrily, and several men in Firebender fatigues stood threateningly. I then lay my hand on Matsui's chest, holding him back.

"No. Leave him. Anyone who's gone through Ba Sing Se deserves respect, Matsui. Leave him be."

The Lieutenant looked at me in surprise, then suspicion.

"Why do you care?"

I glanced towards the door, making sure that Zhao wasn't coming, and pulled the fabric of my tunic from my gauntlet, revealing my forearm, which sported a tattoo with my old regimental symbol. I had gotten the thing from some guy from Second Company who could do tattoos, and the scowling raptor that was the symbol of the 122nd Regiment showed starkly against my pale skin, the regimental motto and numbers running alongside the top.

The Lieutenant looked awed.

"You were with the 122nd?" he asked in surprise.

I nodded, once again looking back at the door. Under normal circumstances, I'd give this man the cold shoulder, but my loyalty to my comrades from Ba Sing Se secretly overrode any loyalty I had to Zhao. I only hoped that Matsui wouldn't rat me out; I'd have to talk to him about that.

"I was with the 124th."

I reacted with surprise; the 124th, our sister regiment, had always been on either side of my regiment both in the trench lines and during the initial incursion. Their leader, Colonel Haito, had been a good man.

Then, however, the door slammed open, and Zhao came out, with an intrigued look on his face. He briskly walked up the gangplank, gesturing us to follow him. I nodded at the Lieutenant in respect, and Zhao turned, and I was afraid for a moment that he had sensed my wrongdoings.

"You are to dock your ship in Huaiao Harbor tomorrow. From there, you men will be transferred to Takang."

With that, we returned to our ship, and returned to Takang.

* * *

We waited for several more days, and each one saw more and more ships and men arrive, and tents soon blanketed the vast plains around Takang. Life, however, was mostly boring, and we spent long periods of time serving as Zhao's guards, assisting in the perimeter defenses, and in training with the other soldiers.

One night, Zhao ordered us to escort a band of pirates into his tents. We were all curious, of course, as to why Zhao needed the help of pirates, and they left his tent with a chest full of gold, which spurred our curiosity even more. Of course, however, we said nothing; it was our duty to be subservient to our commanding officer, and asking why would be simply breaching military etiquette. Not to mention that insubordination was grounds for indefinite internment or execution.

A day or two later, we heard rumors that Prince Zuko had been killed by an engine malfunction on his ship.

"The camp was abuzz," remembers former Captain Imai, who lived through the war to become an accomplished poet. "I can remember that wild conspiracy theories flowed through the camp like wildfire. People thought that his 'accident' had been an assassination by the Avatar, or his father, or some other petulant political enemy. Many thought that the infamous Dai Li had taken their chance at assassinating a member of the Royal family."

"I wouldn't say that there was _pity_, so to speak, more speculation. It was the unfortunate byproduct of our militant society that weakness and dishonor were shunned, and in the eyes of most of the military, Prince Zuko was a shameless, cowardly traitor. Few tears were shed, and the primary reaction was overwhelmingly one of curiosity. For most, the main prize, the Northern Water Tribe, was the sole concern. It is the way of the soldier that you must compartmentalize your emotions in order to do your job. And that is what we did."

* * *

The perceived death of Prince Zuko was a strange experience for me. Having served on his guard detail for the first few years of my Imperial Firebender career, I had grown to respect and care for the young kid. Of course, he never knew who I was, as we were expected to keep our uniforms on at all times, but I felt a sense of familiarity with the prince. Upon his death, I felt sad, sure, but the events of the last few weeks made me admittedly passive to his death.

Lieutenant Jee felt similarly.

"We would butt heads on all sorts of things. But I heard his story from Iroh, and then he saved the helmsman, and I came to the realization that he was just a lost kid who had been thrust into impossible situations. I pitied him. When we heard that he had died, the other crewmen and I had a sort of private get-together to commemorate him. He had been an intelligent, skilled kid, and we had grown to respect him. Traveling with the bastard for a year or two did that to us. Sure, he was abrasive, arrogant, and hot-headed, but who wasn't? I guess the common sentiment was that we felt sorry for his Uncle. The General had lost one son to begin with, and losing his nephew, who we all knew he was close to, probably killed something inside him. But we drank a few rounds of Fire Whiskey in his name, and that was that, I guess. There had been resentment in the beginning that we had become social outcasts by serving a banished prince, but having fought beside him in the Southern Water Tribe, having fought against the Kyoshi Warriors and those Pirates made us respect his capabilities and his personality."

_From "In Search of Honor: A Memoir", Page 233_

* * *

On the day before the invasion was to begin, General Iroh entered the Admiral's tent, having arrived via ostrich-horse. The old man looked sad, but had an edge to him. We guards, having known Zhao's cruel tendencies, and having seen the pirates leave with gold, had no illusions as to why the Prince had been unceremoniously destroyed.

Most of the others felt no pity, but I was sympathetic; this would be the second relative the general had lost.

When he left, Zhao exited after him, ordering a few of the others to escort Iroh to his tent.

* * *

The next day, the entire Army Group gathered in front of the docks. The once bountiful tent are had been stripped bare, and piles of equipment were being loaded onto the ships by the navy sailors. We stood in a line behind Zhao, ensuring his safety as he made his address.

I took the liberty of finding a transcript of his speech, something he never failed to take care of.

* * *

_Men and Women of the Fire Nation; today is a momentous day. For too long has the Northern savages stood in defiance of our raw power. For too long have they laughed at us behind their icy walls, daring us to launch an assault. For years, they have slaughtered our men, making a mockery of Fire Nation power. _

_(boos, jeers, expressions of disgust)_

_I say that the time to stand idly by is over. These arrogant savages have existed for much too long. It is only natural that Ice melt before Fire. Fire makes water evaporate, turn into mist. This is what we shall do to the Northern Water Tribe. _

_(cheers)_

_Make no mistake; this task will not be an easy one. The enemy is well prepared, and their walls are powerful as they are well defended. The people of the Northern Tribe will stop at nothing to defend their homes. They will fight to the last man, woman, and child. _

_But we are the superior element. Our conquest of this world is nearly complete. As we speak, our brothers in the Earth Kingdom move against Omashu, and they will tear the city apart for its defiance. We also are coming close to making the Great City of Ba Sing Se fall, with our superior technology and power. _

_(cheers)_

_Brothers, sisters, remember; this is the year that Sozin's Comet will return to grace us with its power. This is the year that Firelord Ozai shall lead us to victory. We shall bear down upon the enemies of the Fire Nation with the might of Sozin Himself. _

_This is the truth I know to be true; we shall utterly and completely destroy the Northern Water Tribe and end this damned war once and for all. We shall bring honor to our ancestors, and we shall finish the work of Sozin and our grandfathers. For we are the sons and daughters of Fire. And we shall never stop. We will have victory! _

_(loud cheers)_

* * *

With that, we began the long process of loading the massive armada. Hundreds of smaller skiffs filled to the brim with supplies and men touched off from the now-crowded docks, bound for the hundreds of larger ships waiting in the bay. Rafts filled with tar covered rocks, spare parts, and equipment for the fleet's large artillery reserve streamed from the docks, and the talking of men filled the air.

The air was alive; vibrant. Each man filled full of energy and optimism. None thought that the Water Tribes could stand against an expedition of our size.

How wrong we were.

* * *

**Sorry for the wait again, guys. **

**Since School's starting back up, updates may be a bit sparse, but rest assured that I'm still working on this to the best of my ability. **

**Also: A huge thank you to my new Beta, RakshaDemon. You gave me a lot to think about and your revisions and thoughts were extremely useful. **

**Thanks for Reading!**

**~IGdude117**


	23. Chapter 23: The Siege of the North

The journey between Takang Naval Base and the Northern Water Tribe was approximately three days worth of sailing. Three days may not seem like a lot (especially when compared to the length the Avatar went to travel up North), but to a bunch of men hopped up on adrenaline, anticipation, and a fair amount of fear, three days was an eternity.

Our squad, even though we were all seasoned veterans, passed the time as we would. At all times, two men accompanied Zhao, who spent most of his time in his office or on the bridge, and the rest of us were mostly left to our own devices. Occasionally, the Admiral would go out on deck and spar with the guards (for which we drew straws), but he passed most of his time locked in his study, muttering faintly to himself from inside. We spent a lot of time training. We'd spar each other on the deck, we'd play cards, or we'd pass time with the rest of the crew, taking care we didn't relax in front of Zhao. We were the Imperial Firebenders, after all. We were supposed to be above all that.

I remember that the crew would have Pai Sho tournaments and armadillo-rat fights in the Boiler Room during the night shift, and we'd come down to compete when we weren't on duty.

Corporal Kaito, surprisingly, was quite skilled at Pai Sho. When I asked him, he told me that he had learned by playing with his grandfather. It was often amusing to see the normally stern and composed Kaito light up like a firework on Sozin's Day after winning the pot.

"I have no damn clue what I'm going to do with the money, but I might as well," he used to joke.

Corporal Iwasa would usually slur comments at us from the side, holding his flask of fire whiskey. None of us knew where he got the damn stuff from, of course, but that man was always drunk.

* * *

I spent a lot of time talking with Corporal Koichi. We'd often pull deck guard duty together. We were supposed to be watching the surrounding seas to watch for Water Tribe scouts, but we'd usually just chat.

We'd talk about everything. He'd ask about my home life, and I'd tell him about growing up in a merchant family. He'd ask a lot about my Basic Training, as well as Ba Sing Se, and I'd tell him stories about Hiro and Liao.

One night, as we stood near the prow, pacing the deck, he asked me a question.

"Do you blame yourself?" he asked, out of the blue.

I looked at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Do you blame yourself for your two friends' deaths?"

I became sad immediately. I waited for a while, thinking it over in my head, steadying my breathing, before responding.

"Yeah. I do."

"Why?"

"What?"

"Why do you blame yourself?"

"When our patrol got ambushed, I let my instincts take over. I don't even remember what happened most of the battle. But I went sort of automatic. Maybe if I had be coherent, maybe if I had thought things through, they would have lived."

Koichi nodded, but remained silent. Then, he spoke.

"Back in the Omashu Theater, when we were fighting battles with the garrison for control of the surrounding area, I lost a lot of friends. Good men. I got to a point where I stopped caring about everything. There'd be new recruits, and I would give them the cold shoulder because I knew that they'd just end up getting killed. It was impossible, though. After a while, you see so many young men, each one having the power to bend, and getting killed fresh off the boat, and you see how much of a waste it is. How much of a waste this entire war is."

"What do you mean?"

"You ever think about it? Each one of us is individually unique. Out of all the people in the world, we're chosen to be benders. I don't know if it's Agni or The Spirits or whatever, but it's such a waste. All these people, who were given the gift of bending, are getting killed, and for what? Resources? Land? Those things can't replace who we are as humans. That's why I joke around all the time. That's how I deal with my guilt. I make jokes. I try to be funny. Because I'd rather have a laugh than kill anyone else."

"So what does that have to do with me?"

Koichi stopped for a moment, staring over the railing, up at the moon.

"You have to find something that makes you unique, a separate piece of the puzzle, and keep it for your own. No matter how much they try to make you inhuman, or a part of a matched set, you have to find what makes you, you, and keep it for your own."

"Isn't that kind of cliche?"

Koichi looked at me in surprise for a moment, then burst into laughter.

* * *

On the morning of the third day, we arrived.

I was woken by the crude sound of a horn ringing through the ship, and I snapped awake in my bunk, hopping down onto the ground.

"All crew members prepare for first strike. Repeat, prepare for first strike. First strike commences in thirty minutes," came a rough voice over the ship-wide communications system.

"Imperial Firebenders!" bellowed Sergeant Abe, "Listen to my Command!"

"We will be remaining behind on the ship with Admiral Zhao,"

There were small groans of annoyance.

"But we will accompany him into battle with the third wave to undertake a dangerous mission. Until then, we will provide support from the ship's artillery batteries and guard the Commander until we are needed. Corporal Lee, you will take your usual position at the aviary and relay communications to the Admiral and General Iroh. Matsui, you will be the runner between the bridge and the other commanders on the Pride. I'll designate a few more of you to be flag men to signal the other ships."

We stood at perfect attention, listening to Abe's instructions.

"Do your duty, Imperial Firebenders. For the Fire Nation!"

We cheered once, then rushed to our lockers and began putting our equipment on.

* * *

The familiar sound of metal clanging on metal soon filled the air as the first massive salvo was loaded into place on the Pride's deck trebuchets. I stared in the distance through my spyglass, at the large frontal wall of the Northern Water Tribe as the first scout ship approached the city, firing from its batteries, the vibrant orange and red of the fireballs standing out like a hog monkey in winter against the pale white of the Ice City.

Then, rising from the large pagoda at the rear of the Tribe, the familiar form of the Avatar's bison appeared, and after a series of distant attacks, the ship was lifted up on pillars of ice as a group of waterbender ships attacked it from the flanks.

"The Avatar just took down one of the outrider ships!" I bellowed.

The Artillery Captain nodded behind me, and a signalman waved a red and blue striped flag, signaling for the first salvo to be released.

In a massive conflagration of flaming rock, thousands of flaming fireballs arced towards the distant walls, exploding with devastating impact. A few of the fireballs were doused in water and ice, and the Avatar took out a few more, but from the looks of the jagged holes in the frontal wall, the first salvo had been devastating.

We continued like that for the first day. I watched as volley after volley exploded into the distant city, which we steadily neared. The Avatar took out a good amount of ships, his skills with bending being legendary. We watched helplessly as he took out ship after ship with the help of Water Tribe soldiers, but he withdrew as the sun began to set.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the line of ships halted, and we dropped anchor. As tiredness took over my limbs, from shouting orders, running around, and bending the boulders on fire, I was exhausted. However, I knew I had a duty to report to Zhao the progress of the assault, and I tiredly climbed the command tower. I waited politely as he and the General finished talking.

"…You should wait and resume the attack at daybreak," the General said, with a sad look on his face.

Pillars of smoke rose from the city, which we were now very close to, and the distant forms of people putting out fires, manning the walls, and dragging wounded away filled the ice-white city. The Admiral remained silent.

"Oh, I'm well aware of the moon problem and I am working on a solution. But for now, daybreak it is."

The General nodded in satisfaction and bowed. As he walked by I snapped to attention, but he ignored me, descending the stairs. After a while, Zhao turned.

"Ahh, Corporal. Report."

"We lost around fifteen ships due to the Avatar and waterbending outriders, Admiral. The bulk of the crews were recovered successfully, but we took heavy casualties. The Captains don't have an exact count, they'll report once they stop pulling bodies out of the water. The other Captains report prime readiness, and the other spotters and I concur that the first day's salvoes were optimally effective."

"Are the Captains ready for ground assault tomorrow morning?"

"Yes, sir."

"Order the other Captains to maintain around the clock watches and prime readiness in case of a counterattack. The Waterbenders will be at their strongest tonight. I think they'll hold their position, but it won't do to be caught unprepared. Is that all, Corporal?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, go."

* * *

I collapsed in my bunk in utter exhaustion, not even bothering to take my armor off. Matsui, my bunk-mate, chuckled to himself.

"Rough day, huh?"

I cracked a smile, trying to sink into my bed.

"Shut up. I'm so damned tired; I wouldn't even touch a girl if she wasn't interested in sleeping."

Across the room, from his lower bunk, where he lay prone, looking at a scroll in the lantern light, Iwasa guffawed.

"Like a girl would touch you either way! You look worse than a Lion Dog in the middle of winter and you stink worse than one too!"

Hide, from the bunk next to mine, laughed quietly.

"I just feel bad for those poor bastards who have to go in there tomorrow. They're gonna have a hell of a time taking down those Northern Warriors."

Koba snorted derisively.

"As if! Those Water Tribe savages couldn't possibly stand against our might. The power of the Fire Nation is…"

"Look, Koba, if I wanted to hear that shit, I would've joined up with the Loyalty Police. Can the propaganda, would you? It's gotten old." complained Koichi.

Koba spluttered indignantly.

"How dare you act so hostile towards our glorious na—"

Iwasa's scroll arced through the air, hitting Koba on the head. Getting the hint, the zealot turned inwards, muttering beneath his breath.

"I just wish we could be there with them in the fighting," Shuen wistfully said with a sigh. That psychopathic man no doubt fantasized about spilling as much Water tribe blood as he possibly could.

"I'm sure we'll see plenty of fighting with the Admiral when he needs us," I pointed out.

Shuen waved his hand dismissively, sitting up in his bunk.

"Doesn't it bother any of you that we haven't seen real action since we were in that blockade? Since then, we've been chasing the Avatar and his little friends across the entire damn world without a chance to fight. If I don't singe another ice-rat soon, I'll eat my own fire."

The Sergeant spoke from his bed for the first time.

"We do our duty, Shuen. Whether that means we chase the Avatar or kill Ice Peasants, we do what we are told. That is the life of the Imperial Firebender. Now get to sleep. You'll need it."

* * *

The distant sounds of explosions, the clanging of weapons, and shouting echoed through the brisk air as the hawk fluttered toward my arm. I took the small scroll with a practiced grip, after patting it over the head i gave the hawk a gentle shake, forcing it to fly back towards the Aviary. I opened the scroll as Kaito peered through a spyglass, watching the distant battle.

"What does it say?"

"Our forces have progressed past the outer wall. Heavy fighting has erupted around the second tier wall, but waterbenders are taking a heavy toll on our troops. General Yoji is concerned that he will not be able to take the city by nightfall, and he asks for further orders."

Kaito set down the glass for a moment, then turned and bellowed for a runner, repeating the instructions. After ten minutes or so, the second hawk arrived.

"We've broken through the secondary wall. Our forces are exploiting the breach and making their way into the upper ring."

The runner returned, informing us that Zhao wanted a casualty report. I swiftly translated the message into Standard Fire Nation Military Code, giving it back to the runner to send to the Aviary. We continued our work for a while, taking down messages, translating them, and sending them back and forth to both Zhao and the Aviary. At one point, we could have sworn we saw a body fall from the above bridge balcony, but we decided it was more likely that we were just really tired.

After a while, Abe came down.

"How goes it?"

"Good, apparently. The messages we've been seeing and my observations seem to indicate that we're doing well. How is the fleet doing on ammo?"Kaito asked.

Abe sighed.

"The Captains report that their stock is running dry. We've been sending rafts from the supply ships all day, but they run through it. Has the bombardment done any good?"

I shook my head.

"The rounds have been hitting our own men as much as it has the water tribe. The waterbenders are holding their ground for the most part, and our men have fallen back due to heavy losses. They're sending the infantry forward now to try and take ground, but all the nonbenders are doing is dying."

Abe sighed again.

"Some Water Tribe infiltration team made it on board and tried to kill the Admiral, but we took them captive after their leader tried and failed to kill Zhao."

We both looked at Abe in a sense of surprise.

"How did Water Tribe infiltrators make it on board?"

Abe shrugged.

"I don't know. I know that heads will roll as soon as we have victory, but Zhao's concentrating on the battle for now."

A few fireballs exploded with devastating impact in the city's upper ring, and the distant impacts of weapons on weapons clashed with the sound of whistling wind and crashing waves.

"When are we deploying?" Kaito asked.

Abe smiled.

"Tonight. Zhao knows how to kill the Moon Spirit."

* * *

We entered the city by Komodo Rhinos.

The four of us—Sergeant Abe, Corporal Kayo, Koichi and myself flanked Zhao as we crossed the smooth ice of the outer wall. The sun, which sank lower and lower, bathed the space in a cruel red, ice, which had once been pristine and clean, was now full of wounded soldiers, crates of supplies, waiting soldiers, and dead bodies. As we passed, men snapped to attention.

In the distance, near the gashes made in the wall by the ships, piles of bodies were being burned by Firebenders. Groups of soldiers warmed themselves by smoldering boulders that had landed in the initial salvo, and the tone of fear that permeated every man's voice was evident. Some men cradled blackened and frozen feet and hands in pain, moaning for their mothers, the healers, and home.

* * *

"They used to say that the Waterbenders were invincible by the full moon," explains former Corporal Ogawa of the 341st Sugimoto Volunteers.

"They used to say that Waterbenders could do miraculous things by the full moon; that they could draw water out of the clouds, conjure typhoons on a whim, and even move men like they were puppets."

When asked about the battle itself, Ogawa gives a sobering account that I find quite realistic and terrifying.

"We had fought in the city for hours. The initial salvo did us little good, and the sustained bombardment killed as many of our men as it did enemy women and children. The waterbenders, despite the propaganda given to us by the High Command, were not inept rubes. The Northern Water Tribesmen fought fiercely, making us pay in blood for every inch we took. By the time the sun set, and the "Doom Moon" as some of the men called it, approached, morale plummeted.

Our Firebender Regiments had been pushed back several times, with heavy losses, and the casualties amongst the Infantry Regiments were abysmal. The broad-shields helped some, but there's damn little that a spear can do against rock-hard ice, when push comes to shove.  
Many of the men contemplated running. We had heard stories about how the Water Tribesmen ate their prisoners alive, cutting and skinning them like a Sea Elk.

By the time Zhao and his men came around, we had given up hope."

-"The Frozen North: An Examination of the First Siege of the Northern Water Tribe", Professor Pouhan, Ba Sing Se University, Hundred Years' War Department

* * *

As soon as the full moon reached into the sky, the sounds of battle changed. The red flash of fire began increasing in volume, and the splashing sound of water and the crackling sound of ice filled the air, along with the dying screams of Fire Nation soldiers. In front of us, a squad of tanks moved against a group of waterbenders, who flipped the tanks like they were nothing. A tank screeched across the floor as a platoon of Infantrymen rushed the waterbenders, the snow from the tank covering Koichi from head to toe in snow.

Had it not been for the pure tension, I would have laughed.

Neither did he, and he grimly melted the snow off with his bending as we paused, watching the Infantrymen swarm the waterbenders, several being flung aside as if they were small rocks.

Zhao remained neutral, unrolling a scroll.

"We'll be following this scroll to a very special location. And when we get there, we're going fishing."

We made our way through the city streets. The scars of war were evident everywhere; caved in houses poured smoke as tar-covered boulders smoldered potently. The mangled ruins of tanks lay half-encased in ice, bodies of both Water Tribesmen and Fire Nation soldiers strewn about.  
The war's activity was evident as well as we made our way to the inner ring, which had been breached a few hours earlier. The sound of fire being shot at people, the ringing of swords, and distantly shouted orders filled the night sky.

We wound our ways through the streets, avoiding both Fire Nation platoons and Water Tribe raiding parties.  
At length, we arrived in the inner ring after slipping past a group of firebenders and waterbenders trading blows at the entrance.  
Zhao regarded his map several more times, before we circumnavigated the large palace and arrived at a large ice wall, where a small wooden door sat.

"This is it. Be on your guard. The Avatar and his friends are bound to be here!"

We dismounted our Rhinos, readying our bending. We entered the large cavern with our urban combat techniques, with one soldier opening the door as the other three fanned out, covering every angle of the room. Then, Zhao and Abe entered, and we walked towards the small, grass-covered oasis.  
The room smelled surprisingly fresh, the cutting smell of frost had been replaced by the pleasant smell of grass. Surprisingly, the room was quite warm, and we walked towards the grassy patch cautiously.

In the center of the room, in a small pool of water, sat two koi fish: a white one and a black one. They swam around each other in a perfect circle.  
Zhao's eyes widened with glee and I briefly glanced at Koichi. Were these the Moon Spirits? I suddenly felt a foreboding sense of warning and danger creep up my spine like daggers and I wanted nothing to do with that room or any of its occupants. This was wrong, everything felt wrong.

I forced the feeling down and paid attention to the room, covering the entrance and the ceiling as was my duty.

Zhao walked slowly towards the pool, as if in a trance. Then, bizarrely, he knelt, as if praying. In a single, swift movement, he grappled the white fish in his hand and forced it in a burlap bag then held it upwards as the bag flopped around in protest.

The change was immediate. My breath froze in my chest as the moon turned to blood, bathing everything in a hellish light and the starry blue of the night sky changed almost instantly to a clotted burgundy red.

* * *

In the distance, the sounds of firebending and tanks roaring to life filled the air, replacing the sounds of waterbending. The tides had turned.

"I… am a legend now. The Fire Nation will for generations tell stories about the great Zhao who darkened the moon! They will call me Zhao the Conqueror! Zhao the Moon Slayer! Zhao the Invincible!" Said the admiral with a raving, frenzied quality to his voice and with his arms held high, gesturing as if in front of a crowd.

So much for humility... Then again, any humility that Zhao had ever showed was probably fabricated.

With a flash of movement, a winged creature latched on to Zhao's head, pulling his hair as it screeched. For a moment, I didn't know what to do, where did the thing come from? We rushed forward as he shouted in protest, but the beast glided away, and landed on the Avatar's arm. Immediately, we settled into fighting positions. The Avatar, and two teenaged watertribe savages stood ready to fight, the giant wooly monster growling threateningly behind them. On top of its massive head sat a girl in water tribe robes with stark, white hair, looking at the scene in abject fear.

"Don't bother!" Zhao snarled, holding the bag up and pointing his fist at it.

The Avatar and his allies dropped their weapons instantly, holding their hands up.

I tensed, suspecting a trick.

"Zhao!" the boy pleaded, "Don't!"

Zhao glared at the Avatar in contempt, and I glanced quickly at the others, my heart beginning to beat rapidly.

"It is my destiny to destroy the Moon and the Water Tribe," he growled, a faint wisp of smoke curling from his clenched fist

.  
"Destroying the Moon won't just hurt the Water Tribe. It will hurt everyone- including you. Without the moon, everything would fall out of balance. You have no idea what kind of chaos that would unleash into the world." said the Avatar in a calm, composed voice.

Then, a familiar, gravelly voice spoke up, a shadowy cloaked figure approaching from the left.

"He is right, Zhao."

The admiral smirked slightly.

"General Iroh. Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

Internally, my _oh damn_ reflex was hammering like a kangaroo-lion. I could feel my heart beating ravenously at the back of my neck and hammering away at my chest as the blood froze in my veins. I knew, as much as anyone, of the Dragon of the West and his legendary fighting prowess. If, for some reason, he had turned, then we wouldn't be able to stand against him for long.

The General lowered his hood, revealing his familiar, weathered face, which looked threatening in the red light.

"I'm no traitor, Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon, too. We all depend on the balance."

With a look of dreadful anger, Prince Iroh pointed threateningly at Zhao, settling into a bending stance.

"Whatever you do to that spirit, I will unleash upon you tenfold! Let it go, NOW!"

His voice boomed in the cavern and for a moment, time stopped. We stood in utter silence, the otherworldly red light bathing us in its crimson glow. My whole attention was focused on the General, hopelessly looking for any sort of vulnerability in the Dragon. I knew that whatever pathetic attempts at stopping him I could hope to muster would inevitably be defeated.

For a moment, Zhao faltered. He knelt to the ground, lowering the gently flapping bag, releasing the strange white koi fish into the pond. He straightened, looking content.

Then, with a single bellow of hatred, he unleashed a great wave of flames into the pond, scorching the fish alive.

In a swift blur of motion, the General leapt across the small bridge, flinging large globes of fire in every direction, landing in between the others and myself. Swinging with all the strength I could muster, I thrust towards his head, flames wreathing my fist, but he blocked me with expert precision and, with a single jab of fire to my sternum, I was flung backwards, pain exploding over my entire body. I writhed in agony, barely noticing the ropes being tied around myself and my friends by distant, shadowy figures.

"There is no hope now." said a melancholy woman's voice over by the pond.

I kept fading in and out my senses blurring as I tried to stay awake. The last thing I remember seeing was a massive, undulating blue shape that smoldered with supernatural energy rising from the minuscule pond illuminating the walls of the room in an eerie blue glow.

* * *

When I woke, it was not in the warmth of the small oasis where I had passed out. It was in the frigid, blistering cold of a frozen hell.

I was sitting in a freezing, small room made of ice, all alone. My hands and forearms were encased completely in a sleeve of ice binding me to a wall, I couldn't feel my fingers anymore but my limbs burned with the cold. My feet were fused to the ground in a cone of ice. I remember it felt like hundreds of tiny daggers scraping on my bones. I wondered whether my skin was sloughing off, blackened and dead like so many of the soldiers we had passed earlier.

Who knows how long I had been unconscious, bound by the frigid cuffs. I tried to bend through the ice, but as my inner flame struggled to come out, it fizzled then abandoned me altogether.

The dread of that day still wakes me up at night sometimes; the cold ice digging in my skin, deeper, ever deeper, the frost clawing through my veins upwards, coursing through my entire body with painful, emotionless cold. The feeling of desolate hopelessness I felt as the one thing that made me a firebender, the constant warmth that stayed with me my entire life, was snatched away by a cold, unforgiving, icy environment is one I am eager to never repeat in my life.

The wall of ice to my left opened with a sharp crackling sound, and two mean looking waterbenders in heavy parkas stalked in, glaring at me in hatred. One of them was holding a bucket and the other, plumper one was hauling a couple of frozen fish and chuckling to himself.

The fatter one approached me.

"Rise and shine, Fire-Rat! I brought you your royal meal!"

He threw the frozen block that was the fish at my head and laughed as I roared in pain, the scathing sensation of the cold ice impacting against my cold head sending flashes of pain through my forehead. Blood began to trickle down my face.

The other guard smirked and came closer while holding the bucket. I tensed seconds before the frigid water splashed across my face and chest.

I glared in utter hatred as my body began shivering violently, and as my teeth began clattering.

"It's been a while since you last bathed highness" said the fat guard.

"You were stinking up the royal palace" Said the tall, bald one then he kicked the bucket in one of the corners of my cell.

"Wouldn't want the throne to get musky now, would we?" Laughed the fat one, as he smacked me in the face with the other frozen fish, eliciting another groan of pain from me.

"Nothing like a warm bath and a hot meal, ain't that so, your fiery dreadfulness?"

The guards both cackled as they turned around and went for the door.

The large one exited the cell whilst saying "The Fire Nation does potty train its incendiary murderers, does it not?" bursting into laughter again as he walked along the corridor outside the cell, his voice growing dimmer.

The bald one stayed by the door, and with a bitter voice that matched his icy glare he said:

"Welcome to frozen oblivion, Ashmaker. You'd best get used to being cold, because I'm going to wash out every ounce of information I can get out of your pitiable, bloodthirsty skull."

He then turned towards the door and left, the glacial wall covering the exit as if it had never existed at all.

* * *

**Huge thanks to my Beta, RakshaDaemon for making it through my muddled work and giving some great suggestions, ideas, and passages!**

**Sorry for the long wait, school is still kicking my butt. Rest assured, however, the show shall go on!**

**Thanks a lot!**

**IGdude117**


	24. Chapter 24: The Ice Palace

My daughter always told me that I need to do something. For so long after retiring, I had just sat around, reading my scrolls and managing the family mercantile business. I used to think to myself that, well, I'm getting old, I've spent a lifetime fighting, so I should just let others tell our story and I should relax with my respectable pension and rich family business.

Except for the fact that no one was telling our story.

Sure, I can give you a few of my favorite books about the War, most notably _The Pursuit of Honor_, by Fire Lord Zuko, which examines his life, the history of his family, and the Hundred Years' War in general.

Of course, Tamura's _A Complete History of the World_ is a quintessential classic, as can be seen by my incessant quoting of his works. It may get a bit dry here and there, but it is a solid series of books altogether.

_My Life and Stuff_ by Chief Sokka is an interesting read, to say the less, and it was also the place where I found out that I had been incredibly stupid for going to the bomb bay during Sozin's Comet.

Yet for every memoir from global celebrities like Avatar Aang, Fire Lord Zuko, and Master Katara, there is a woeful lack of stories from people like me, or people like my old comrades from Ba Sing Se. These days, people tend to look at the Hundred Years' War as if it were some legendary battle between deities.

But it wasn't. That war was fought, for the most part, by normal men, and it was ended by the Avatar and his allies, who were, as we can see through their retellings and memoirs, in many ways as normal as any of us were. And I think that that is something that we as a collective world must keep in mind, whenever we speak of the War like it was some ancient legend.

* * *

I've only returned to the Northern Water Tribe once after my initial imprisonment. Around fifteen years after the war's end, I and some other veterans were invited to attend the fifteenth anniversary celebration of the war's conclusion. When we were there, we were formally apologized to for the tortures we underwent in those icy dungeons.

It helped some, but the memories of that place haunt me to this day. I find that it's even difficult to write about, even now, but I shall try my best.

The Waterbenders were quite adept at torture. During my Imperial Firebender training, we received several classes on interrogation techniques. It was almost easy for us firebenders, because we could just burn our victims until they talked.

For the waterbenders, they had to be more creative.

Every few days, they'd march into my cell, the same two damn guards. One, a tall, well-built man with a chiseled face and a single, small scar running from the right of his lip, the one who always did most of the bending torture was the one I dubbed "The Seal". The other man, the fat one, I just called "Fatty."

Seal and Fatty would come into my cell every few days, and Seal would ask me questions. They often varied, but they ranged from questions about the exact layout of the Royal Palace to the troop deployments in the Capital City to the exact classifications of the Home Fleet's ships.

* * *

Fatty snarled in hatred and backhanded me across the face.

"I'll ask again, Fire Nation scum. What are you rats planning next? We know you're with the Imperial Firebenders. Tell us everything and we'll leave you alone."

I spat a gobbet of blood at the man.

"Corporal First Class Qin Lee, Imperial Firebender, 2nd Company, 1st Squad, Fire Nation-"

The man groaned in frustration, and, with a flick of his wrist, a globe of water encased my head, dousing me in icy water that burned. I held my breath for as long as I could, but as I ran out of air, I instinctively inhaled a mouthful of water and I screamed wordlessly as I began to drown, the cold water stabbing at my insides. Then, after what seemed like an eternity of agonizing pain ceased, he released me, and I slumped onto the ice table, coughing up water, my hands numb from the tight manacles. The Seal grabbed my hair and yanked me forward, snarling into my face.

"You bastards took my entire family from me. Now tell me what you know before I rid the world of your existence, you scum-ridden son of a pig-sheep."

"Go dive into your damn spirit pool you pretentious as-"

Growling he punched me across the face sending violent rays of pain across my face. Blood trickled from my mouth as I stared at the icy floor, and dots of blood began splattering onto the blue ice below me.

"You want to try the extreme method?" Fatty asked.

The Seal yanked my head up by my hair and glared into my face, smiling maliciously.

"You Firebending bastards took our princess away from us. You slaughtered our people and tried to destroy us, but you didn't, because you're weak. You think your inner flame will protect you, Firebender? Let's see how long that lasts."

He let go and deftly began bending a coat of water around my body. The icy water burned almost immediately, and I began shivering uncontrollably. Then, Seal clenched his fists, and the water turned to ice. Chuckling, he doused the lantern, leaving me coated in freezing ice and complete darkness.

Fatty laughed to himself as he walked out the door and Seal stood, silhouetted in the light, smiling at me sweetly. "I hear you firebenders can tell whenever the sun rises. That's a long ways off. We'll see how many of those you can stand."

With that, he closed the door, bathing the cell in freezing darkness.

* * *

The days I spent in that hellhole are not some I like to recall. The Water Tribe is known for their sense of honor and community, but damn, they knew how to break a man.

For three weeks, I was held in those dungeons, being subjected to the worst torture they had.

It would start slowly; the gradual itching, slightly painful sensation of being encased in ice for too long. This endures for the first several hours. Then, the skin warms up slightly, and the pain gradually increases. Then, as the hours drag on, your skin warms then freezes, warms then freezes, until your limbs become numb to all feeling and the blackened, blistered husks that were once your arms and legs terrify you beyond all imagining.

Then, and only then, when you are convinced you've lost your limbs for good and the paralysis terrifies you, do they allow a healer in to heal your limbs to their previous state. The healer, a middle-aged woman with raven hair would always look at me sadly, and avoid meeting my eyes as she healed me, restoring a small measure of warmth to my limbs.

Oftentimes, however, when this was done to me, they'd blindfold me for the duration of the healing and bombard me with abuse and questions.

The terror and pain of the torture came very close to breaking me, but I paced myself, keeping track of every healing session and using that as a motivator. Then, whenever they'd ask the questions, I'd respond as I usually did;

"Corporal First Class Qin Lee, Imperial Firebenders…"

To which they'd finish the healing session, encase me in ice again and leave me.

Once in a while, they'd take us to the hallway for brief moments as they transferred us between cells. It was truly harrowing to see my fellow soldiers in the states they were.

I staggered into the hallway, immediately being shoved into a cold bench between the three emaciated figures that had once been my allies. They looked up slowly as I sat down, their hands and legs manacled together. A faceless warrior stood near us.

"One minute."

Sergeant Abe leaned against the back wall, his eyes empty with despair. The man, once built, proud, and courageous, was now a thinner and more pale than he had once been.

Kayo, the former Southern Raider, looked worse. The Southern Raiders' penchant for making themselves known to their enemies no doubt nipped Kayo in the a**, and he looked particularly broken, and I was sure that the Northern savages had gotten their revenge in for what the Raid

Koichi was the only one that said something when I sat.

"Pleasant morning, eh…? I- I couldn't wish for a more p-pleasant day," he rasped, his once rich and laughter-filled voice now broken and weak.

I chuckled weakly, trailing off after a few painful heaves. Then, suddenly, Koichi leaned in, whispering in my ear.

"Look, I know these savages have put us through shit, but there's only one way we're getting out of here. Now listen up…"

* * *

The healing session ended, and the blindfold was removed. Seal and Fatty regarded me.

"We'll give you one last chance, rat. That's one more than you gave the Moon Spirit when you slaughtered it. Now, tell us where the next Fire Nation attack will be, and we won't encase you again."

I remained silent. After a few seconds, Seal sighed in resignation and began bending the water.

"Wait… wait, please. I'll—I'll tell you. Just don't do it again. I can't take it," I rasped.

Seal smiled slightly, and gently bent the water back into the bucket.

"It's… it's going to be at the easternmost village in the Northern Water Tribe. General… General Akiro is going to take a fleet through the Pass of Napok and ambush the city from the east, razing minor villages as he goes."

"How many troops are with him?"

"Please… I don't know. They didn't tell me that. I only overheard Zhao talking about it."

Fatty punched me in the stomach, hard, and I spat blood into my lap. He reared for another punch, but Seal stopped him.

"It's alright, Arnik. We got something this time. You did the right thing, fire-rat. We'll let you rest before your next round."

As they walked out, Fatty murmured to his compatriot.

"About time. I was afraid he'd never break."

As the door slammed shut, I smiled to myself, feeling the smallest ounce of my inner flame for the first time in weeks.

* * *

They returned a day later, by which time I had mustered enough of my inner flame to do some damage. I sensed that it was daybreak at last, and I was rewarded with the small rush of power that I hadn't felt in forever. As the door opened, bathing the cell in light, I smiled slightly.

"What are you smiling at, you ass? We still have some more talking to do."

I waited until both men entered the cell. I rubbed my wrists against the coarse metal, and warmed the metal up slightly, just to test. I had an idea of what I was about to do, but it was of course questionable that it would succeed.

At that point, however, I didn't care.

"You've done me a great service, you two. I couldn't have done this without you," I said, with a hateful smile.

In that moment, time seemed to slow down; Seal's eye widened in realization as I kicked with all my might, shooting a fireball from my foot that slammed him against the far wall. Then, as Fatty caught on to the turn of events, I readied myself, kicking him in the groin as he ran towards me in rage. Fatty collapsed in a quivering heap, whimpering to himself as I struggled to free myself. The warm handcuffs made my hands sweat slightly, and I struggled to slip my hands out of the manacles. After a few minutes of pulling and tugging, I ripped my hands from the cuffs, tearing a layer of skin off my hands. I muffled my scream of pain in my shoulder quickly, and attempted to ignore the pain.

Fatty, who had just about recovered, stood up, only to receive a quick punch in the face, knocking his head against the cold floor. I hoped that I had smashed the bastard's skull in, but I doubted it.

I stood victoriously, standing over the unconscious bodies of my torturers. I could feel the power of the sun, as if Agni Herself was infusing me with her power. Of course, my hands hurt like heck and I had no idea what I was going to do from here, but I remembered back to my training.

Heart pounding, I tied the two guards' hands together, relieving them of their heavy uniforms and their weapons, as well as their keys, giving them broken noses to repay them for their kindness. All I knew was that I had to find the others.

I unlocked the door cautiously, peeking out of the cell, the hood of my coat covering my face. It was taking every ounce of my energy not to collapse, and flaring pain and the urge to pass out threatened to take over.

I steadied myself against the icy door sill and walked confidently down the hallway. It was deserted, and I was hoping that the other doors studded on either side of the corridor held my friends. I walked to the first door, peeking in the small window, but the room was deserted. I repeated this procedure, trying my best to be stealthy, until I ran headfirst into Koichi, who was dressed similar to me.

He looked at me with abject shock for a moment, then chuckled to himself, his voice still raspy.

"Great minds think alike, I suppose. How'd you escape?"

"I told them some bogus information and pretended that they'd broken me. They didn't freeze me then and I was able to recover my strength somewhat. Their arrogance was their downfall."

Koichi stood, offering a hand. He pulled me to my feet and we embraced.

"What happened to Abe and Kayo?"

Koichi's face darkened.

"They were moved to a different prison facility, somewhere to the north, along with the rest of the Fire Nation prisoners. We're the last to break, I guess."

"We need to get out of here. Any idea how?"

"We need to somehow find a boat. Maybe if we escape to sewer system, we can find our way to their harbor section and steal a boat. Or we can take one of the boats floating out in the channel out there from the invasion."

A few water tribe warriors walked past down the hallway, and we slid against the wall, staying silent.

"The latter sounds better," I whispered.

Koichi nodded, gesturing for me to follow him, and we moved down the hallway towards the light, hoping we could, by some stroke of luck, find our way out.

* * *

We eventually found an entrance to the city's sewer system, and wandered around the foul-smelling ice tunnels hopelessly, attempting to find our way through. In the distance, the sound of shouting and bells clanging told us we were being hunted, and our desperation increased.

We entered a large room with a small platform, which held several barrels that smelled like rotting meat. We carefully pulled ourselves from the sludge and inspected the solitary door out, which opened up into some light source.

We crept up the stairs stealthily, until we came into a large open room where a very familiar face greeted us.

The kind-faced healer that had come into our rooms and avoided our gazes as she allowed the torture to continue looked at us grimly, sitting cross legged, alone in the room. I immediately summoned a ball of fire in my hand.

"You're going to tell us how to get out of this godforsaken hellhole, wench, or I'll burn you on the spot."

She looked at me, sadly, nodding once.

"The men are out there, looking for you now. I can hide you through the night until early morning, when all the benders are sleeping."

Koichi looked mistrustful.

"Why should we trust you? You're the one that allowed them to torture us."

She shook her head, her eyes dark.

"I never agreed to do that. My son's in the army, and the Warden threatened to send him with the Southern Tribal Fleet to fight in the Earth Kingdom. You must trust me; I feel guilty about what I had to do down there, and I want to make it up to the Great Spirits."

I put my flame out, and Koichi followed suit.

"Fine. But if you betray us, I'll-"

She nodded.

"Follow me."

We shared a glance, quietly agreeing; if the woman betrayed us, we'd burn her to a crisp. Trust wasn't a luxury we could afford to keep.

* * *

**Hey all!**

**I know it's been an insanely long time since I last uploaded. Senior year has been busy, but I'm free now so expect a fairly regular upload schedule (for those of you still reading). I'm going to shoot for one chapter a week- for real this time!**

**It's good to be back!**

**-IGdude117**


	25. Chapter 25: Back to Work

99 AG- Kikit's Healing House, Northern Water Tribe

We traded off our guard shifts; one of us would sleep, whilst the other kept a watchful eye on the door. Sleep, after the ordeal we had gone through, was not easy, however, and it simply put us more on guard. We had already been trained to snap awake at a moment's notice, but now, on the run in enemy territory, the stakes were higher. Exhaustion battled tension within ourselves, and mostly had the effect of making us even more tired.

Despite my ability to resist the torture, it had left its mark on me. Confidence and zeal was now replaced by uncertainty and fear- hardly befitting the attitude of an Imperial Firebender in what was left of my conscious mind.

When it was my turn, I got up from the sack of furs that I had been meditating on and leaned against the far left wall of the attic- behind where the door would swing open. Koichi snorted derisively.

"That's reassuring. If anyone decides to invade this attic, I'll be the first to go. Thanks, Qin Lee," he said sarcastically.

I smiled slightly, and he chuckled at his own joke, lying against the brown Grizzly-Seal fur with some semblance of relaxation.

He fell asleep remarkably quick-or at least, quicker than myself. I contented myself with leaning against the wall, doing my best to push the memory-shadows of the creeping ice from my skin. The cold, which I had never really minded, was now terrifying. It was as if every gust and gale breezing through the attic was liable to swallow me in a globule of sharp, burning ice, like when the guards were—

The door cracked open slowly, and Kikit- the healer- walked in slowly. I carefully pushed myself from my leaning position, my hands at my sides as I attempted to read her expression.

There was an unbearable amount of silence. Strangely, Koichi's snoring didn't stop- either he was faking or he was truly fast asleep.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, at length, seeking nothing more than an insight into the 'enemy's mind'.

"You must know what it is the Fire Nation did to you people- why help the enemy?" I added.

She smiled crookedly, as if she were smiling at a mildly funny joke. Then, she sighed deeply and settled into a cross-legged position.

"What is the point in fighting for freedom if it is achieved the wrong way?" she whispered.

"You know that we'll return to our country and wage more war on the world, right?"

She smiled sweetly. She wasn't old, so to speak- she looked to be around thirty five or forty years old- but there was a certain look to her eyes, one that I had seen in many of my comrades, that told me that this woman had seen things in her life. Perhaps she had been a victim of some of the Northern raids, or the naval battles. Or maybe she had traveled some, like so many of the Water Tribe did, lending her strengths to the embattled Nations of the world.

"If we repay hatred with more hatred, the cycle is unbroken. Do you know who said that?"

I shrugged. The quote sounded vaguely familiar, but I hadn't read anything in such a long time that exact quotes usually escaped me.

"The Fire Sage Toyozo, from your Nation. He was from many decades ago."

I frowned. Toyozo's proverbs were actually pretty commonly quoted in the Fire Nation- the 'choose a profession you enjoy, so that work will cease to exist' one being especially popular- but not particularly abundant outside of the Fire Nation.

"So that's it? Some misguided fear of the Spirits and some old proverbs are convincing you to aid your greatest enemies?"

She smiled mysteriously again.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

* * *

We stood back on the platform leading into the frigid water. The tiger-shark coats she had given us were supposedly good against the cold water.

"Many of the guards are sleeping or drunk after the battle. Those that are still looking are patrolling the walls. If you swim through the sewers, you should be able to reach the wreckage of your fleet and find some sort of craft capable of taking you back to your Nation."

"Why not give us a boat?"

"The port will be heavily guarded. You'll have a better chance this way. It's summer, anyways, so the water will not be so cold. Good luck."

Koichi, still mistrustful, simply nodded, walking towards the drop off.

I bowed deeply, using the Water Tribe hand gesture in lieu of the Fire Nation salute.

"My thanks, Kikit."

I glanced quickly at Koichi, who was lowering himself into the water. I had no way of knowing if he had heard my conversation with the woman the previous night. Then again, the conversations we had had while on guard duty were a lot more treasonous than that. I placed my shattered trust in Koichi that he wouldn't turn on me.

"May this war come to an end soon."

She smiled once more, and I joined Koichi in diving into the frigid water.

It felt good, I remember- speaking the truth about the war, about the Nation, about anything. I truly wished that the war would end, one way or another. I was tired of fighting.

* * *

We managed to escape, luckily. We weren't sighted, and we managed to come across an overturned rowboat from a heavy cruiser. The sight of the once proud navy now sinking- courtesy of the Avatar's freaky fish powers, from what Kikit had told me- was disheartening, to be sure. Then again, perhaps that was what we deserved for interfering with the affairs of Spirits.

We drifted for quite a while in the ocean. Food became a sort of problem- but luckily, a Fire Nation merchant vessel was illegally passing through Water Tribe territory (laden with contraband smuggled goods) and brought us back to the mainland.

* * *

As the fog parted, and the massive stone form of Fire Lord Azulon came into view like some mystical beast, a feeling of elation passed through us.

Home. It was a good feeling. The cold north was no more- the comfortably warm was familiar, cozy even.

Jinhai, the merchant captain, laughed uproariously, his pipe hanging dangerously low from the corner of his mouth.

"It must be good to see the Capital once more, eh?"

I smiled. Then, in a swift movement, the large merchant swooped in between us, draping an arm across our shoulders.

"Now, I just want to remind you, _friends_ that I took you on this boat on the condition that you _don't_ report my wares. Is that… satisfactory?"

Behind us, Jinhai's crew looked at us menacingly. One man hefted a large axe on his incredibly muscled shoulder, seeming to growl in hostility.

Of course, we could have dispatched them with ease, but the look we shared signaled that we were not eager to start a fight.

The boat docked with the port with a resounding _thunk_. The men quickly began unloading their wares, taking them to some place before Koichi and I had even gathered our things. Jinhai stuffed a barrel of pipe-grass into both of our hands with a beaming smile, and shoved us off his ship as if we were the plague.

We sold the barrels for a fair profit quickly, as we had no need for that, and walked towards the Caldera Entrance.

The two guards- Domestic Forces, both of them, crossed their spears on our approach. Our kit- a mixture of Water Tribe and Fire Nation civilian dress was no doubt suspicious at best.

The one on the right, a woman with brown hair and admittedly soft features, glared at us.

"State your business."

Deftly, I uncovered my shoulder, revealing the Imperial Firebender tattoo. Surprised, the two soldiers snapped to attention.

"My name is Corporal Qin Lee. This is Corporal Koichi. We've just escaped from Water Tribe prison after the battle, and we need passage to the Imperial Barracks. Please have a message sent to Colonel Oda."

The guard saluted smartly and sprinted away.

Koichi glanced at me idly.

"I wonder what reception we'll get."

* * *

Within a manner of minutes, we had be clapped in irons and escorted to Colonel Oda's office. Funnily enough, those of the Imperial Firebenders that knew us quietly said their greetings and expressed how glad they were to see us alive and well, which was reassuring.

We were shunted into an office outside the Royal Barracks by the guards, and we set our eyes on our erstwhile commander for the first time in a long time.

Colonel Oda, topknot and all, sat behind his desk with the usual angry expression he had on. Of course, his angry expression was simultaneously his joyous, depressed, sad, and neutral face, so it was hard to tell his true intentions.

"I sent ten of my finest benders to serve Zhao in his campaigns in the Earth Kingdom. From all accounts, they served admirably, sowing chaos and discord in the enemy lines. I also hear tell that they assisted in… _Admiral Zhao's_ quests to find the Avatar with great dignity. Now, after Zhao's expedition has been wiped from the map, two of my benders return, claiming that they escaped from inescapable dungeons and survived where thousands of others did not. Explain yourself."

We did our best, filling in all of the details we deemed important from the time we left to join Commander Zhao to when we escaped. When we had finished, he stared at us, a hint of suspicion shining through his angry exterior.

"You must understand how suspicious this is. You escape, two weeks after the disaster that only a handful lived through. Some say you're spies."

I lifted my sleeve, showing him the puckered skin and scar tissue that was a friendly remnant of the torture I had undergone.

"Colonel, I underwent weeks of torture, not once divulging information about our military procedure, even where some of the others broke. I also escaped one of the most heavily fortified cities in the world today, only to return to my Nation, where I now face the threat of summary execution. All due respect, what part of that sounds treasonous?"

Oda looked at us again. Koichi was sweating profusely, looking at me as if I had signed our death warrants. Then again, perhaps I had.

* * *

We spent a week in the cells of the Capital City Prisons. Of course, we weren't being actively tortured, but it was fairly miserable to be back home in our native land, only to be able to look at it from behind bars.

I managed to become affable with the guards, however, and I spent much time talking with my guards, who were very interested in my exploits.

"So you _saw _the Avatar? How was it?"

I shrugged, leaning against the cool iron bars.

My guards, Gaho and Tohen, leaned against the stone brick walls in fascination.

"Yeah. Several times, really. He's not much to look at when he's… you know, normal. He's just a kid with some funny tattoos. But by the Spirits, when he goes into the Avatar State…"

I turned back towards the corner, feeling the need to urinate.

"Sorry lads, I'm gonna have to pi-"

"Is that so?" came a cloyingly arrogant, high pitched, cruel tone.

The voice sounded familiar. I knew that voice.

I turned around slowly, and immediately dropped to my knees, staring at the rocky floor intently. Beads of sweat began forming at the back of my neck.

"At ease, _soldier_."

I snapped to my feet, recalling my parade-ground posture once more.

Princess Azula stood in front of me casually, regarding me with something between bemusement and suspicion.

"What is your name?"

"Corporal First Class Qin Lee, Imperial Firebender, Your Highness!"

"So you're one of the lucky ones that escaped, are you? My father is convinced you lot are deserters and traitors. Personally, I'm inclined to agree, but I am a much more... merciful individual, compared to my father."

I stared blankly at a spot directly above the Princesses' head- a trick from basic training.

"_So_? Do you have an answer, or are you going to stand there like a _mute_?" she said, her glare deepening.

"No, Your Highness, I am not a traitor."

"That's _hardly_ convincing."

I bowed, deeper than I ever had before.

"I swear to my Ancestors that I am not a traitor. I have served the Nation loyally and will continue to do so, if Your Highness deems it acceptable."

"You served in the Great Siege, did you not?"

"Yes, Princess."

"You served Commander Zhao in his siege of the North, did you not?"

"Yes, Princess."

"And you did assist the good Commander in _hunting down_ the _Avatar_, did you not?"

"Yes, Princess."

There was a long moment of silence. Drops of sweat fell from my brow as I stared towards the floor, hardly daring to breathe. The stories, and my experiences, with Princess Azula's cruelty and efficiency came to mind like Cavehoppers.

"Tell me how much you want a second chance," she said, amusement brimming from her tone.

I once more dropped to my knees, kissing the ground almost.

"I will pledge my being and soul to the Fire Nation until its enemies are conquered and destroyed. I will do anything to restore my lost honor and to avenge the defeat inflicted upon us by our enemies. I swear it on my Ancestors and the Spirits themselves."

"Rise."

I stood. The Princess was smirking, nodding to a scribe by her side. The man scribbled on a scroll, and unrolled it fully.

"By the order of Princess Azula, the prisoners Qin Lee and Koichi are restored to their previous rank of Corporal First Class and are hereby assigned to Princess Azula's personal detail. Their rank, privileges, and rights are now restored in the eyes of the Fire Lord."

I looked at her wordlessly, electing to bow deeply in lieu of speaking.

"Don't thank me yet, _soldier_. We muster by the main port at two o'clock tomorrow morning. I expect to see you there, in formation, with all of your kit. Let him out, scribe."

With that, the Princess turned tail, followed by another Imperial Firebender. The scribe nodded towards Gaho, who fumbled with the lock. The door swung open, and I stepped out tentatively, wondering if it was a test of some sort.

"Welcome back to the Imperial Firebenders, Corporal. Report to the barracks," the scribe said, sardonically.

I smiled. I was looking forward to getting myself some payback for the pain I suffered in the Water Tribe prisons. As I exited the cell, my heart soaring with patriotic fervor that admittedly was due in a large part to the fact that I was not to spend the rest of my days in that damned room, I caught eyes with Koichi, who smiled as he was escorted from his cell.

The Avatar's single handed defeat of the Northern Expedition was shameful and horrifying, yes. But he had made one major mistake; he had left some of us alive.

And I fully intended to help him realize his mistake.

* * *

**As promised, the next chapter is here. **

**I know that my last chapter was pretty intense, what with the torture scene and all. I'm hoping to input a lot of humor and lightheartedness, as well as expanding on Qin Lee's present day life in future chapters, so stay tuned for that. **

**As always, feel free to leave a review if you have any constructive criticism or observations. Between myself and my Beta, we can catch a lot of mistakes, but there's always something that slips through the net. **

**Thanks for reading!**

**-IGdude117**


	26. Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End

99 AG- 10 Miles Off the Coast of Huinan, Northern Earth Kingdom.

We stood in two long, parallel lines, each of us stiffly at attention, our red battle armor bright and menacing in the bright sun of the Earth Kingdom.

Although it was hotter than a lava pool in those uniforms, we dared not complain; that was not the way of the Imperial Firebenders.

We had all packed up on a massive Empire-class Battleship, and traveled to an undisclosed location a week before. The fact that there were nearly two platoons of benders from the Second Company caused massive speculation among us.

Also, the fact that Princess Azula was leading this expedition, whatever it was, made things all the more mysterious.

Koichi and I, by the time we reached our destination, had told the story of our daring escape at least a hundred times, each time embellishing it slightly until it became as far from the truth as it could was how all soldiers told stories, however, and it impressed some of the newer initiates, so that helped.

Around a week after we had departed the Fire Nation, we stopped, and were ordered to appear on the bridge for a briefing from the Princess herself.

There were some groans when we were told we had to be in full dress, but the Sergeants quelled such treason quickly.

The Captain, a Captain Fao who had fought in some of the fiercest battles in Chameleon Bay, nodded as the ornate doors leading to the bridge and Royal chambers creaked open.

In sync, we bowed, pressing our helmets against the smooth metal of the deck.

There was a cough from the Captain, and we rose again. A large palanquin had set down, and the curtains were pulled back slowly by some Royal Aides.

The Princess, resplendent in her menacing armor, stood deliberately, and delicately stepped foot on the deck, her face smiling slightly as if she knew something that we didn't.

I was sweating profusely now- the heat was pretty bad, and, after being so very cold for so long it almost seemed foreign to me.

"My brother and uncle have disgraced the Fire Lord, and have brought shame on all of us."

Silence. We had all been told that the traitors Iroh and Zuko had deserted their post. Then again, banishment wasn't exactly a noble posting. I pushed the thought aside, however, as it would only weaken my ability to complete the mission.

I owed the Princess my life, for that matter, and I was willing to do anything not to betray her trust in me.

Her footsteps neared me, as did her voice.

"You might have… mixed feelings about attacking members of the Royal Family. I understand."

Her voice passed me, nearing the rear of the platoon.

"But I assure you, if you hesitate… I _will not_ hesitate to bring you down."

Her threat hung in the air, seeming to quiet the sound of the very ocean with its severity. We had all heard the stories about the Princess' talent at bending- her ability to control lightning at a very young age, her ruthlessness, her prodigal skills. For anyone else, we would have dismissed the threat as being idle, but that confidence did not remain in the face of the teenager's cold visage.

"Dismissed."

As one, we turned towards the doors and jogged in in marching order, not daring to move out of step in fear of evoking the Princess' wrath.

* * *

Inside, safe from the ears of our officers, we soldiers gossiped, as all soldiers do.

Ozow, an old hand that I had known before my fateful mission with Zhao, leaned forward on his hands, speaking in an awed whisper.

"I heard that she killed General Tsung herself, on the orders of the Fire Lord."

There were noises of disbelief, each one tinted with the thought that that was, indeed, something the Princess would do.

Hu, a recent initiate, looked at me.

"Weren't you in the Royal Guard Qin Lee? What did you know of her then?"

The others looked at me as well, their expressions ranging from vague mistrust to genuine curiosity. It had, of course, been a long, long time since I had last served in the Royal Guard, and it seemed as if it had been even longer since I had given my service there the slightest thought.

"She was much the same. Cold, emotionless, determined. I remember listening to Lady Ursa trying to quench the fires of her passion, and her cruelty to the Prince, only to have little effect."

The others nodded.

"All I know is that I'm damn glad to be serving under her. We all know that we'll see a lot of action with her- as long as we don't fail," someone from another bunk said.

There were general mutters of agreeance, but also fear.

We all knew the consequence of failing the Princess, and we were all determined to ensure that it was not an option.

* * *

The gravel path reached into the distance, accentuated on either side by vibrant, pink cherry trees. The buds seemed to rain down in a snow-like patter. Behind the partition of trees, scattered other clouds of pink interrupted the fields of farmers and settlers.

The cart approached slowly. I peered out from the corner at across the aisle, signalling to the two other benders in my _Guntai_.

The cart was pulled by two seemingly Earth Kingdom farmers. The cart, piled high with wheat, squealed its way closer and closer.

Across the way, the helmet of Hezaka, one of my comrades, poked out. I nodded quickly, and walked out into the middle of the road.

The farmers stopped, petrified. The visage of the Imperial Firebenders was infamous, even amongst the colonies. The two, a man and woman who looked to be in their forties, backed away, only to bump their cart into the others, who stood threateningly, arms crossed with menace and authority.

"Where are you from?" I asked.

"U-Uishii. I-I-It's a f-farming village a f-few miles from here."

I nodded to the others, and they began tossing the wheat out of the cart, ignoring the protests of the farmers.

"N-No! Please! That was the last shipment of our harvest!"

The man threw himself down to the ground before me, begging.

"Please, sir. I beg of you. Don't do this!"

A twinge of regret and guilt pushed itself insistently through my heart. Was I really doing this? Had I become the monster again that I so desperately hated? What had these people ever done to me?

My more disciplined side overpowered my guilt. This was my duty. These people were lower than rats- they only served to weaken the Fire Nation. Who knows? Perhaps they were rebels. I owed the Princess my life and freedom, and I was determined to satisfy her trust.

I summoned a flame in the palm of my gloved hand. With the other, I pulled out a wanted poster of General Iroh, and Zuko. The guilt resurfaced.

"Have you seen these two fugitives?"

The couple regarded it with wide, scared eyes for a moment, then shook their heads.

"N-No, sir."

"Have you heard anything about travelers from the Northern Water Tribes arriving here?"

The husband looked at his wife uncertainly. They were hiding something.

My mind went back to the icy hellholes of the North, and anger ripped through me, cleansing my doubt and strengthening my resolve.

I sent a burst of fire directly in front of the two, causing them to jump back in fear, yelping. I walked closer, extending my fist until it was directly in front of the wife, who looked petrified.

"Tell me what you know, or your wife will burn."

Tears ran from the man's face.

"My cousin works in Huinan. He works-works in a massage parlor. He- he told me that two strange men came to his resort a few days ago, and that… one of them looked like… like the Fire Lord's son."

I lowered my fist slowly. I nodded slightly towards the others, and walked away slowly, turning around.

The faint sobs that came from behind me cut through my very soul.

* * *

Looking back, that was only the beginning of the end. It was my darkest time- darker even than when I helped burn the villages down. My misplaced and renewed loyalty drove me to do things that haunt me today.

Perhaps it was Princess Azula's cruelty that drove me to be the man I was, or perhaps it was the pure emotional wreck that I was after my incarceration, but either way I became a sinful man.

My memory unfortunately fails me here. I dimly remember that the General and the Prince got the jump on us- something about Captain Fao slipping up (he was thrown in the prisons, I believe). I do know that I spent a while in the thankfully warm water of Huinan Bay, courtesy of the good General.

After that, however, the Princess decided that traveling with several platoons of the Imperial Firebenders and a massive warship would only slow her down- we were dispatched to a Naval base for a time, on loan to the local commanders whilst she tracked down her brother, then the Avatar, with her two friends, Ty Lee and Mai.

When I look at people like Princess Izumi- or her son, even, I am amazed by how much the Fire Nation has changed. Today, people like the Princess are known for their kindness and generosity, not their ability to kill and their lack of mercy.

Her son, fittingly named Iroh, no longer fights to conquer and subjugate, but rather, to help and protect.

What a world we live in.

I often reflected, when I was attached to the Princess' task force, on my time in the trenches outside Ba Sing Se, during the Six Hundred Days- suffering quietly in that cold wasteland with Shen, Sakai, Keita, Aoke, and Hikaru. And Fujiko.

I envied the days when war was simple. When our job was to kill the enemy, and civilians, politics, and cruelty were only marginally involved with our day to day lives. I missed having friends- no, more like siblings- that you could absolutely count on not to betray you, let you down, or stab you in the back.

I also thought about the Colonel a lot. Lu Ten had been a fine commander. He had cared greatly for his men- much like the good General- and led from the front.

Every time I saw the General after that, usually on the receiving end of his fire, I knew that I had abandoned the ideals we had valued in the Army. I knew, more importantly, that I had shamed the memory of his son, a man who I respected immensely and would have given my life for without a second thought.

It's a strange world, to be sure.

I am often reminded of a quote by Avatar Roku. We often discussed it in class, but it always stuck with me. It sticks with me still today because I always feel it pertains to me- half condemnation of my life, half mantra.

"I would rather die with honor than live without it."

* * *

**Hey guys!**

**Sorry for taking so long to update. My transition to college is a slow but sure process, so I suppose that's my primary excuse. My grandmother is also currently recovering from a surgical procedure, so I'm writing this in the hospital waiting room. **

**I don't suppose there's any point in trying to promise things, so I guess I'll pull a CD Projekt Red "Cyberpunk 2077" and say the next chapter will be out 'when it's ready' :)**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-IGdude117**


	27. Chapter 27:The Fall of Ba Sing Se

After the Princess ditched the Royal Procession, life settled into something resembling a routine. We spent most of our days in Fengchun Naval Base, drilling, training, and going on patrols in the local area.

For me, at the time, it was excruciatingly boring. I felt restless- I had a debt to pay, and there wasn't a whole lot I could to do stuck in the base. I wasn't one of the 'lucky ones' who was chosen by the Princess when she pursued the Avatar in her massive land-crawler machine, nor was I fortunate enough to revisit the nightmarish wastelands outside of Ba Sing Se where I lost so many of my friends in the Second Siege.

* * *

99 AG- Fengchun Naval Base, Northwestern Earth Kingdom

The smell of roasting hog-monkey wafted through the cool night air from far behind us inside the camp itself.

Chisai, one of the female benders in the platoon, stamped her feet next to me. We were stationed behind a partition of wooden logs and plates of crude iron that would potentially serve as a barricade. The partition of sorts surrounded the large base, and every so often, a small hut constructed out of logs and bamboo served as a guard station of sorts.

Our section of the wall, which overlooked a large field of wheat leading to a forest, was particularly cold. Behind us, the sounds of the other Imperial Firbenders and regular Firebenders bounced through the cracks in the wood.

I coughed, looking out the small windows in the hut at the forest- all was clear. Yawning, I sat down on the bench, trying my hardest to keep my eyes open.

"So I heard from some of the others that you fought at Ba Sing Se," Chisai said, scratching at her short, military-cut hair.

I looked over tiredly.

"Yep."

My response seemed to surprise her. For a moment, she looked to be at a loss for words. Then, she spoke.

"What was it like?"

I shrugged.

"Like the stories say, I guess. It was long stretches of boredom, interspersed with violent and intense periods of combat. I lost a lot of friends there, but I killed a lot of dirties, too."

She nodded.

"I was in the Academy when the Siege ended. Everyone was so… angry, so- so ashamed."

I nodded. I had heard this before.

"So were we."

I looked at her again. She kind of reminded me of Ayako, my hometown sweetheart of sorts. After the Siege, when I had been recovering in Varron, we had talked a little about our relationship. We had decided it was best for us not to hold on to any pretenses of being together. In the end, she had her own group of friends, and I had mine. I had just changed so much after the Siege, met so many people, and seen so many things that something as petty as a relationship didn't seem relevant to me anymore. Others went on and on about their hometown girls and boys, but all I knew was that there was a job to do and that I would do it.

War was all I had known since I had joined up six years ago.

Six years, for others seemed relatively short, but for me, it had already been a lifetime. I had lived through the Siege, joined the Imperial Firebenders, hunted the Avatar, fought in the Siege of the North, fought some more, and now I was here.

I suppose you could say it blew my mind.

A pair of footsteps came from far behind us, running. Tensing, I got to my feet, grabbing my helmet off of the bench.

Hezeka ran up, panting.

"What is it?"

Chisai poked her head out of the hut curiously.

"We got word that Princess Azula and Prince Zuko killed the Avatar and took Ba Sing Se from the inside!"

My jaw fell open in shock.

"What?"

"You heard me!" he said, grinning.

"The Avatar's dead? Just like that?"

"Right? We all figured that the skies would spit fire or the Spirits would invade our world, but I guess not! Ba Sing Se is ours!"

Elation rose through my chest. If Ba Sing Se had been taken, then that meant the war was all but over.

I grinned. Chisai ran out and tackled Hezeka, hugging him tightly. Cheers resounded from around the camp, and streaks of fire from overzealous Firebenders cut through the dark sky like a swarm of fireflies.

Outside, I smiled, but inside myself, simple relief that the bloodshed would soon be over flooded me.

* * *

We traveled by boat to meet up with the rest of our unit in Ba Sing Se itself. Marching into the city, surrounded by battalions of Firebenders and soldiers was triumphant, to say the least.

The city itself was huge- nothing like the first ring we had seen during the Siege. The inner ring, the _true_ Ba Sing Se was magnificent to see. Thousands upon thousands of green-roofed houses, each one full of Earth Kingdom citizens. Far away, the Inner Ring and Palace beckoned, the crimson and black banner of the Fire Nation fluttering victoriously from the walls.

Peeking out from the houses, the dismayed faces of the Earth Kingdom citizens looked out at the ranks of soldiers and tanks rolling down their streets. It was perversely joyous to see- these pampered fools, who sat safely behind their walls while good men, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation, perished in bloody conflict, deserved to be subjugated.

With the occupation of the city, the Earth Kingdom was primed to be toppled permanently.

* * *

Although it had only been around a month since we had left the Fire Nation, it was exceedingly good to be arriving back. The warm, familiar air of our home refreshed us all, and passing through the Great Gates of Azulon raised our spirits immensely.

Word was that the Fire Lord was expanding the Imperial Firebenders; The War Minister, Xe, had approved the creation of some other diabolical machine that compared to the fabled Ba Sing Se drill.

We were all curious as to what it was; not only was it some sort of mysterious machine, but whatever it was, it had spurred the Fire Lord to expand the ranks of the Imperial Firebenders- something altogether unheard of.

As we walked towards the Imperial Firebender barracks, we noticed a long line of young men and soldiers lining up. As we neared the barracks, we learned that these were a long line of applicants for the _slightly_ relaxed standards of the Imperial Firebenders.

When we arrived back, Colonel Oda was waiting to greet us.

He greeted Captain Tetsu, moving us into one of the briefing rooms in the large barracks complex. We sat quickly, both out of respect to the Colonel and out of eagerness; standing next to the Colonel, silently, was Minister Xe.

He waited, silently, until the room fell completely silent.

Colonel Oda cleared his throat.

"As you know, with the fall of Ba Sing Se, the entirety of the Earth Kingdom is vulnerable to assault. Now, the manpower we lost in the second assault and many of the more recent battles means that pure brute force can't be relied upon as much. We require a more tactical, ingenious approach to occupying the remnants of the Earth Kingdom. War Minister Xe will explain the next phase."

Minister Xe walked up.

"Good Afternoon, Imperial Firebenders."

"Good Afternoon, Minister," we repeated, in synchronization.

"How many of you are familiar with the Drill that penetrated the wall of Ba Sing Se?" he asked.

A flurry of hands went up. He nodded, smiling.

"Good. Now, it is widely accepted that our success thus far in this war can be owed to two things. The first is the skill and strategic mastery that our infantry forces have displayed since the beginning of this war."

There was a rippling of agreement amongst the gathered soldiers.

"Second, is our ability to constantly innovate and upgrade our technological prowess."

He nodded. Two soldiers in the uniforms of the Domestic Forces pulled a massive model out from behind the curtain. There was a smattering of amazed noises- the model displayed a large, oval balloon like structure with an underlying structure hanging from beneath. Across the sides, platforms extended like spines. Massive propellers, attached to a circular, massive motor that displayed the Fire Nation sigil on its sides, indicated that the thing was a flying machine of some , and most threatening, the prow of the large balloon was in the likeness of a ferocious dragon.

"This," the Minister said proudly, "is the Airship."

There were more expressions of awe as we leaned in, curious.

"It is a massive flying machine, designed by our finest inventors. It can hold a crew of sixty men. It has these six platforms, plus one at the prow, that can hold a Firebender that can serve as an anti-infantry or, although unlikely, an anti-air weapon. It also has the capability of carrying bombs, which can be dropped from large bays on the bottom, and a few of our prototypes have been fitted with prototype launchers."

More exclamations.

A hand raised, in the front of the room.

"Yes?"

"All due respect, Minister, but how does this help us end the war?"

The Minister smiled, turning to Colonel Oda, as if there was some joke that only they were privy to.

"That will come at a later time. What matters is that you men will begin training to crew these ships almost immediately."

Another flurry of hands stuck up into the air; the Minister picked one at random.

"Sorry, sir, but with all due respect, we're infantrymen. We're trained to fight directly on the ground, not crew machines. Would that not be better left to the Engineering Corps?"

The Minister smiled again.

"That is true, to an extent. Engineers will fulfill much of the main functions of the ship- general maintenance, operating vital machinery. But it must be you men and women who pilot it, who guard it, who keep it running, who defend it, and who ensure, no matter what the circumstance may be, that its orders are followed to the letter. And who better to entrust this duty with than the famed Imperial Firebenders? Or are you not up to the task?"

There were expressions of affirmation- of course we could handle something like this, we thought. Our indignant natures, as the Minister intended, overrode any instinct or question in our mind.

* * *

And so it was that we learned how to live in the massive airships. We learned to fly them, to crew them, to work together with the Engineers to ensure that the ships ran smoothly.

We woke at the crack of dawn each day, and boarded a large boat. Each time, we were searched thoroughly by Domestic Forces officers to ensure that we didn't have anything we could use to write anything down.

We traveled for several hours each day, where we would laugh, talk, look at the smooth ocean, and run over drills, procedures, and techniques for running the airships.

We would arrive each day at a large island where the Fire Nation's airship fleet was hidden. Obviously, security was amazingly tight, as knowledge of the airships would be a great boon to our enemies.

We arrived each day, met with our crews, and ran through a variety of drills. Myself, Ozow, and a few of the others were lumped with a crew of new recruits. Being that we were the few, other than the Captain, the pilot, and a few others that had any experience in operating ships, we were given officer's positions.

I was given a position as the Communications Officer- My room was somewhat close to the Bomb Bay. It was a relatively small room, bristling with voice-tubes. On one wall, filled with labels, were incoming tubes where people would relay messages. I would then convey them to whoever needed to know the pertinent information- direct lines resulted, apparently, in a jumbled mess of people screaming at each other, so my station was vital in ensuring messages got to their destination without confusion. I worked with several recruits- a boy, relatively speaking, fresh out of the Firebending Academy named Hahn and a girl named Keh.

Our ship, _The Admiral Gon,_ was a standard ship, with a largely new crew. Our Captain, a man called Jozan, was a veteran of several battles in the Earth Kingdom. As such, as we worked on learning the ins and outs of we would receive bizarre messages intended to confuse and trick us. Oftentimes, he would call drills in the middle of our routines, and we'd sprint to our evacuation spots.

His bizarre and sporadic so-called tests ranged from anything from a cocktail party in the Engine Room to a Erhu quintet in the bridge. Each time, any man who was absent would be punished with cleaning the massive balloon exterior, most often for the reason of 'not knowing this ship well enough'.

And so it was, for several weeks. We learned how to work the machines down to the smallest detail. We were confident that what we were doing was unique and important to the conclusion of the war, and we celebrated privately in the taverns of the Capital City when we had finally been designated official crewmen.

With that obstacle conquered, we turned to our next major operation, and one of the last battles of the Great War.

As the Day of the Black Sun approached, and its invasion force with it, we knew in our hearts that one way or another, the War would be over soon, once and for all.

* * *

**As always, comments and criticisms are welcome.**


	28. Chapter 28: The Day of Black Sun

99 AG- The Day of Black Sun, Fire Nation Capital

"The Great Gates have been breached! They're on their way!" shouted Yoon, as he looked up from his telescope.

Cursing, I sprinted from the communications station towards the local Domestic Forces HQ, bursting in the door.

Colonel Chengyuang, the commander of the Capital City Domestic Forces garrison, looked up from her battle maps.

"We've received a signal. As we suspected, the ships are there, but they're empty. The outpost suspects waterbending sorcery."

The Colonel nodded, her stern face settling into a look of determination.

"Send the signal to all stations. The invasion will be coming, and _no_ troops are to reveal the... surprise we have in store. If we can, we'll stop them at the beaches and defeat this meddling uprising before the eclipse begins. If not... it'll be the old spear and sword option for us Firebenders."

I saluted stiffly.

"Yes, sir!"

I sprinted back outside and relayed the information. Yoon then gathered his squad of runners and relayed the information to the system of bunkers surrounding the valley-like docks area.

As Yoon and the others ran around, I began feeling a familiar sense of adrenaline that I hadn't felt since the Siege all those years ago.

The clanking of equipment, rumbling of tanks, and distant shouts awoke something in me that I hadn't felt in ages- true anger.

It's the same anger I felt when Hiro and Liao, my two friends from basic training, were killed during that very first patrol. It was the same anger I felt when we had been routed from Ba Sing Se, and the same anger as when I had been imprisoned in the Northern Water Tribes' dungeons.

A flashing in the distance caught my eye, and I looked through the telescope at the flashing mirror, which signaled that the scouts had discovered that the boats had hinges on their hulls, and that some sort of vessel had been contained in each one.

I smiled grimly. The intelligence that we had received seemed to be correct on all accounts.

I walked over to a Messenger Hawk and slipped the coded message that signaled the beginning of the rebel invasion, releasing the proud beast from its cage, letting it soar back towards the hidden armada of airships.

The door to the HQ Tower opened, and a Domestic Forces soldier beckoned me in.

I saluted once more.

"Sir, the messages have been sent, and the fleet should be holding steady until after the eclipse."

"Good. Your work here is done, then, Corporal. Do your best to coordinate the front-line defense until the eclipse begins."

"Yes, sir."

"For the Fire Nation, Corporal."

"For the Fire Nation!"

* * *

The invasion, needless to say, was very successful at the beginning. I set myself up in one of the embankment bunkers, looking down towards the canyon that led to the Domestic Forces Tower.

The troops were nervous, understandably, about fighting on their home turf, but they were determined, as well. I was somewhat dismayed to see that a large percentage of the Domestic Forces were younger, 18-year old cadets or older retirees called back into service.

Not that it was much of a surprise, of course, what with most of the military-eligible men and women being sent straight to the Earth Kingdom, but still, it was a far ways away from the Imperial Firebenders or even the Firebending Corps.

The leader of the bunker, a Corporal named Boqin, looked out the firing slit nervously.

"What if they have spirits on their side?" he asked.

"Spirits? What are you going on about," asked Sako, another soldier.

I smiled, leaning against the back wall.

"I-I mean, maybe since these rebels were in league with the Avatar, they..."

Sako looked at me in exasperation.

"There won't be any Spirits. Besides, the Avatar is-"

The distant ringing of bells interrupted my sentence and my heart skipped a beat as I realized what the ringing meant.

"Get to your posts. This is it."

In terror, Sako scrambled up the ladder, interlocking the ballista bolt in its place. I ran towards the ladder, looking up.

"What can you see?"

"Nothing. The outer defenses are firing- wait- do you see that?!"

Cursing to myself, I clambered up the steel ladder and elbowed Boqin out of the way, lifting his spyglass towards the outer defenses. To my astonishment, one of the bunkers had grappeled a large, mechanical vessel that looked remarkably like a fish, with a large, glass bubble at the front. Surprise and awe registered in the others' faces.

"Is that how they bypassed the Great Gates? Underwater ships? What else do they have?!"

"I guess we're not the only ones with the cool toys anymore..." I began.

Then, from the water beside it, a very familiar flying bison with crimson armor covering its body burst from the water, and a flash of blue water resulted in the vessel falling back into the sea. Dread jolted through me. That was the Avatar's Bison, that was for sure. Whether it was actually him or not, either way, it meant that his compatriots were here, and that was a bad sign.

Shoving the spyglass back into Boqin's arms, I slid down the ladder and sprinted out of the bunker just in time to see a cluster of more vessels land on the beach and disgorge long, metallic rectangles that moved forward. As ballista rounds bounced off the thick armor, it became obvious that the Rebels had their own tank as well, which wasn't a good sign.

I sprinted across the ridge, glancing down as the deafening sound of exploding rounds echoed from the canyon below. As I ran, I looked down, seeing a swarm of infantry following the tank and what looked like a colossal creature made of seaweed defending the tanks. Perhaps the young Corporal had been right about the spirit concept after all.

I burst into the Tower, panting for breath. A Lieutenant looked at me in concern.

"Corporal Lee, the Colonel and her staff pulled back to the palace. What are your orders?"

"My... my what?"

"You're the ranking officer, sir..."

I groaned in annoyance.

"Carry on here, Lieutenant. I'll lead the assault from the ground. Good luck."

* * *

As the rebel tanks moved inexorably forward, I found myself with a platoon or so of Firebenders. The Lieutenant in charge saluted me, even as rocks and water whips impacted all around us.

"Enough with the ceremony, Lieutenant, pull back!"

"But sir, we can-"

I grabbed the man by his vest.

"The eclipse begins in thirty _minutes_. Fall back to the Sozin's Road positions, NOW! I'll hold some of them back with your troops."

We sprinted around the side of the massive white tower, holding our ground by the small entrance through the dividing wall as the others made for the distant zig-zagging Sozin's Road in the distance. Judging by the rebels' massive upgrade of technology, they wouldn't have much of a problem getting through said wall, but we'd try anyways.

A group of five men in Water Tribe uniforms came around the corner, brandishing spears. I looked at the two young troopers who had volunteered to stay behind, and groaned in annoyance.

"Watch and learn, kids."

Roaring in hatred, I lunged forward, brandishing dual fire whips. I grabbed one man by the midriff, who began screaming as the fire burned through his armor, and hurled him in the distance. Then, extinguishing the whips, I drew my sword and charged in the middle of the group. I dodged several quick swipes by the spears and grabbed one man by the shin greave, bending fire into my hand and singing his leg badly, causing him to drop to the ground in pain.

Behind me, the hard wood of spear knocked into the middle of my back, sending me flying into the smooth sandstone of the tower. My back ached from the pain, and the warriors surrounded me, angrily glaring at me. Miraculously, however, the killing blow never arrived, and I exhaled a breath, confidence and adrenaline alike growing in my chest.

"You should have killed me when you had the chance, _Water Rats_."

I bent a wave of fire around me, sending the men staggering back. As they reeled, I leapt to my feet and sprinted through the door, locking the heavy iron door behind me. A cluster of other troops retreating towards the distant volcano looked at me in desperation.

"FALL BACK!"

* * *

As the last holdouts and catapult batteries tried their best to batter the ring of tanks into submission, a blue glider swooped from behind us, and my fears were confirmed. Even from this great distance, I could still recognize the young, bald monk with the arrow on his forehead. The Avatar was still alive.

Chengyuang looked at me in fear.

"Is that..."

"Yes, Colonel. It is. Prince Zuko obviously didn't kill the Avatar."

"But if the Avatar is here, then perhaps we could still lose the..."I looked at her sternly, and she caught her tongue, knowing that I would fully report her to my superiors if she spoke too much.

"That's immaterial, Colonel. The armada will cripple the rebel fleet, and not even the Avatar can stand up to the whole Fire Nation military."

She nodded.

Then, suddenly, my limbs grew tired, and I could feel myself tiring out quickly. I looked outside and dread filled me once more as the moon began slowly covering the sun.

"The eclipse is close. Order your troops to hold as long as they can, then fall back to the City proper. The civilians have been evacuated, so they have permission to attack with extreme prejudice. Is that clear?"

The Colonel nodded, looking back towards the rapidly approaching fleet of tanks. Whatever happened now, would be crucial to the future of the Fire Nation.

* * *

When I look back on the invasion, I always wonder if it would have been much simpler to just let the Avatar win. After all, we would have saved Ba Sing Se from being ferociously fought over, and we would have prevented Ozai's stint as the Phoenix King and the final collapse of our Nation.

* * *

_The failure of the Black Sun invasion, while momentarily devastating, only ended up adding fuel to the Avatar's quest of ending the Hundred Years' war. The capture of over five hundred rebels from almost every Nation and region was a mighty victory for the Fire Nation, indeed, but only delayed the inevitable. While Fire Lord Ozai was quick to declare the battle a victory, unrest and rebellion grew all throughout the Earth Kingdom as word of the Avatar's return spread like wildfire. The Fire Nation military, too thinly spread to effectively counter such sedition, found itself engulfed in pacification campaigns and anti-guerrilla operations, resulting in heavy losses for the quickly-depleting Fire Nation._

_Taumura, A History of the World._

* * *

"_No _deaths? Are you serious?" Koichi asked.

I nodded, glancing at the courtyard filled with rebel prisoners.

"I heard it from Colonel Chengyuang herself. There was a smattering of light wounds, but otherwise, the rebels didn't kill any of ours. We only manged to kill three or four of them, of course, but still..."

"So, what? It's a rebel group with a conscience? Why in the blazes would you launch an invasion without intending to kill anyone?!"

I snickered, glancing back at the courtyard. The courtyard outside of the Fire Nation National Prison, which had been wrecked when Iroh broke out, had been turned into a makeshift prison for the rebels. Ringed by Firebenders from the Domestic forces and Imperial Firebenders, Fire Lord Ozai had demanded they be kept under close scrutiny until they were all processed.

"How was the air assault from down there?" he asked, nudging me in the ribs.

"Shut up. You guys could have come sooner, save us some bruises."

"We had to make a theatrical appearance. I mean, it obviously worked, since the entire rebel group surrendered."

"You still didn't get the Avatar..." I said, smiling.

"You know as well as I do that it's damn hard to nail that kid with bending. He's a slippery little..."

We were interrupted by Colonel Oda. The Colonel regarded us coldly, and then looked at Koichi.

"Good job, today, Koichi. You can return to the barracks now. Get your rest- you're going after the Avatar _and_ the Prince starting tomorrow."

Koichi looked stunned for a moment, then looked back at me. Then, saluting the Colonel, he walked off, scratching his head in confusion. The Colonel turned his gaze to me, making me squirm slightly in my attention position.

"You did well, today, Corporal. I've decided to give you a field commission- not only were you instrumental in saving the lives of our soldiers, but you also redeemed yourself fully in the eyes of the Fire Lord and the Princess. Congratulations, Lieutenant."

* * *

**So I decided to go on a bender (no pun intended) and just crank out the rest of Qin Lee. My main reason for doing this will be included in the last chapter, but thanks for reading anyways!**

**-IGdude117**


	29. Chapter 29: Sozin's Comet

Whilst writing this saga of sorts detailing my life, my daughter has informed me that I have spent an inordinate amount of time describing the events of my past and not properly reflecting on them now.

So, in the interests of placating my daughter, I will do so for this chapter.

Needless to say, a promotion to Lieutenant was a joyful occasion for me. Not only was in the Imperial Firebenders, but I was now one of the leading officers in the _Admiral Gon_, and life was good.

While I was chomping at the bit to get into more action, it was admittedly relaxing to get some time to myself before the rumored final push with the Air Armada.

So I wrote several letters to my parents- my first in several months, unfortunately, and spent some time in the Capital City, visiting restaurants, trying my luck with the ladies, and generally unwinding after the events of the previous days.

Matters were, of course, seriously deteriorating in the Earth Kingdom, and the internal search for both Prince Zuko and the Avatar was ongoing. There were even rumors that the Prince was in league with the Avatar, and many of the Imperial Firebenders felt that he was a cowardly traitor.

More than a few of those guys would end up joining the New Ozai Society, of course, so that tells you how good of a person they were.

Looking back, as I so often do now, I should have followed Zuko's example and disappeared. Perhaps I should have used my connections to land a job at the Boiling Rock and join the prison staff.

Or perhaps I should have just returned home and spent some time with my parents, who I hadn't seen since I initially joined the Imperial Firebenders, over a year ago at that point.

I pondered a lot about other things as well. I still hadn't heard from many of my old comrades-in-arms for ages. And, I still hadn't even given a moment's thought to Hiro and Liao.

Well, maybe that was a lie, but the pain of their deaths, and all the other brothers and sisters I had lost during the Siege, was too much to ponder over.

So, like a true Imperial Firebender, I pushed these thoughts aside and concentrated on my duty.

* * *

Now, I wish I could tell you that the arrival of Sozin's Comet was a big deal. I wish I could explain to you in riveting detail the immense sense of power, the rush of adrenaline, and the infectious sense that one could accomplish anything, but that would be a lie.

In reality, myself and the crew of the _Admiral Gon_ spent the entirety of the epic battle between the Avatar and the Firelord swimming to shore after falling for possibly the stupidest trick, well, ever. Of course, I could chalk it up to excitement; after all, the Fire Lord had just declared himself the Phoenix King (which, we all agreed later, was a really, really stupid title), and the raw, unconstrained power of the Comet was intoxicating, to say the least.

So, when the call came down from the bridge almost twenty minutes into our voyage (which, I will point out, was entirely unspecified to those of us not on the external bending platforms) to gather in the bomb bay to celebrate a birthday, we did it, well, mostly unquestioningly. We all assumed that it was one of Captain Jozan's crazy drills again, a test to see if we'd be ready when the actual battle began.

On the bright side, I did meet Che Lei, a very nice Engineer. We had just struck up an admittedly awkward conversation when Ogino, a guy working with the security crew, walked over with the fateful last words of 'I can't believe the Captain remembered my Birthday! He really does care!"

And with that, we were unceremoniously dropped into the thankfully warm water, left to fend for ourselves as the _Admiral Gon_ flew.

At first, when we first reached shore, a few of the crew wondered if the Captain had mistakenly pulled a lever or something. Then, after thinking back to the announcement, and the admittedly nasally voice that came through the internal communications system, we faced the fact that we had been duped in the stupidest way possible.

So we watched as the airship fleet was, one-by-one, completely dismantled.

As the other crews made their way to safe ground, we climbed a large hill, and were faced with the true amount of destruction this unspecified mission had wrought. The ground, the forest, and everything in sight had been completely burned to the ground, covering everything in a thick, and heavy ash.

As the distant and godlike forms of the Fire Lord and the Avatar fought for dominance, we sat, thought, and many of us came to the realization that perhaps what we had been fighting so hard for was inherently flawed if it caused this much senseless destruction. When the final light show, consisting of a bizzare sky that turned orange and blue finished, and we saw the Avatar meet with his friends on top of the pillar of rock and haul a apparently incapacitated Fire Lord away, we resolved to turn ourselves in.

* * *

As the sky turned a deep blue once more, despair and regret alike took hold. Hahn and Keh, the two cadets who had worked in the communications room with me, looked at me in despair.

"What do we do now?"

"Yeah, with the Fire Lord dead, that means we lose the war, right? I guess we go to prison," Keh said, holding her head in her hands.

I sighed, tired now more than anything.

"Don't worry. You're just kids. I'm sure that if Prince Zuko becomes the Fire Lord, he'll take mercy on you. Me, not so much."

* * *

As we reconnected with the other crews, I met up with Koichi, who had gotten attacked by the blind metalbender.

He rubbed his head as he approached, hugging me tightly.

"So I guess this means we rotted away in Water Tribe prison for no reason, right?"I smiled grimly.

"Well, better to rot in Fire Nation prison than a Water Tribe one. At least we'll be warm this time."

Koichi chuckled.

"I've been fighting in this damned war for longer than I care to count, and I've lost more friends than I care to count, only to find out that I most likely served on the wrong side," I sighed.

"You and I both know we've been thinking that for a while now."

I sighed again, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

"We're gonna go down for that stuff we did in the Earth Kingdom for Zhao, aren't we?"

Koichi shrugged.

"I might. You somehow managed to always pull house-burning duty, so you might only get, I don't know, fifty years or so?"I laughed.

Behind us, some of the others had salvaged the life rafts from the crashed airships. This time, when we returned home, we wouldn't come to the homecoming we hoped for.


	30. Chapter 30: Epilogue

**EDIT (10/21)**

**Hey, all-**

**I know there's another A/N down below, but I just wanted to pop on to shameless plug myself. **

**So on , there's a Fanfiction contest going on, and I just submitted the Story of Qin Lee- COMPLETELY UPDATED!**

**Yep, that means I finally went through and fixed continuity errors (although some may have slipped through the cracks), added more bits and pieces, and switched around a few parts to make the story flow better. **

**So if you want to, feel free to pop over to to look at the new and improved Story of Qin Lee. Or not, it's up to you guys. I might also consider reuploading the entirety of the fic back onto the Fanfiction website, so keep your eyes peeled for that.**

**Once again, I'd just like to thank you all for your support. If you want more Qin Lee, pop over to my other fanfiction, Tales from the Fire Nation, to catch the occasional cameo by our favorite Imperial Firebender. **

**If not, I hope you've enjoyed your time reading my humble story, and I apologize if any of my story seemed jumbled or rushed. This was my second attempt at long-term serialized fanfiction, and I learned a lot of things throughout writing this that I'll use to improve my subsequent stories. **

**Thanks for reading, and enjoy the final chapter!**

142 AG- Summer, Varron City

I am not a perfect man.

During my career, I made many mistakes. My ambition as a younger man, my drive to join the Imperial Firebenders no matter the cost was, well, costly.

I spent little time with my parents, I lost many of my friends, and I irrevocably scarred myself in ways that continue to plague me to this day.

When we reached the Capital City after rowing all the way from our crash site, we immediately turned ourselves in to the new Fire Lord and the Avatar's forces.

In a twist of fate, perhaps, many of the rebels we had fought and captured during the Day of Black Sun became our captors.

To their credit, however, they treated us a lot better than we would have treated them.

The days leading up to Prince Zuko's coronation were, quite frankly, a nightmare. Prince Zuko and Avatar Aang decided it was prudent to lock us up in the Prison along with the other Ozai loyalists.

Those of the crew who had decided to run, or join an underground society hadn't come with us. Those of us that were left were those who hadn't done anything truly wrong- in the case of the cadets, or those of us that had done wrong, and didn't want to spend their lives on the run.

Around two weeks after the coronation is when I talked with the Fire Lord. A week after that was when the panel to establish our sentencing took place, and it was where I fully divulged all of my exploits, experiences, and crimes.

My accounts of the torture I endured under the Northern Water Tribe, while initially taken badly by the esteemed Sokka and Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, was eventually proven to be valid after extensive investigation by the ruling chief of the Northern Tribe.

It had turned out that the men that had separated us from the other prisoners taken during the Siege had been part of a radical military faction within the Northern Tribe, posing the little information they drew from us as valid intelligence.

Promptly afterwards, Sergeant Abe and the others, who were barely alive, were released, along with the other prisoners from the North. My good old friends Seal and Fatty were banished from their tribe- a stroke of poetic justice.

So I did my time- three months of prison time, in which I wrote down much of what I had gone through for use in this very book, and my extensive cooperation with the Council resulted in ten years of House Arrest (which, truth be told, wasn't truly house arrest- it just meant I couldn't leave Varron).

Even then, my House Arrest was amended to a shorter five years.

As much as it pained me, my testimony extended Sergeant Abe's and several other of my old squadmates' sentences. Koichi, who I convinced to cooperate as well, was also given a generous sentence- a year in the Boiling Rock and a somewhat harsh, but very merciful banishment from the Fire Nation.

He now lives in the fledgling United Republic, a moderately successful businessman in Republic City.

* * *

When I returned home, my parents were mainly just happy to see me. When I finally sat down with them and spilled every dark secret (which took a lot of courage, mind you).

They were horrified with some of what I did, but my agreeing to speak to a spiritual healer every week and the simple fact that I was still alive eventually allowed them to trust me once more.

While my military service itself was no secret, my status as an Imperial Firebender was something I kept under wraps. My tattoo, which had once been my pride and joy, almost never sees the light of day, mainly out of guilt for what it stands for.

During my House arrest, I took to drinking a lot, the beginning of a very long and slippery slope, and hope and all happiness drained from my life, replaced by thoughts of brutality, cruelty, and pain.

* * *

The harsh _Kasao_ slipped down my throat, and I grimaced as the rough liquor seemed to stab its way down my stomach.

The door opened idly behind me, and I waved for another drink. Lung Chao, the bartender, shook his head, pouring the drink.

"Are you sure you're okay to be drinking that, kid?" came a stunningly familiar voice.

I looked over to the person who just sat next to me and was overjoyed to see Fujiko once again.

"Fu-Fujiko? Is that really you?"

She grinned, grabbing my drink and chugging it down.

"The one and the same. I heard you were back here, so I figured I'd take you up on that offer of a drink."

"That was, like, five years ago."

"Better late than never, right?"

Grinning from ear to ear, I followed my old friend back to a booth and we swapped stories, the good and the bad, for hours upon end.

* * *

In case you haven't guessed, I ended up marrying Fujiko when my house arrest ended early, around 105 AG. I eventually just found that the other girls- the ones who had spent the war in Varron- just weren't really capable of understanding me. Fujiko, who had fought through the Siege and then spent much of the war as guard at the Boiling Rock, knew exactly how I felt.

At first, of course, her hearing about my crimes with the Imperial Firebenders shocked her, but she knew better than most that the trend of 'following orders' got many people into a lot of trouble during the war. So, my wife and closest friend helped to get me out of my spiraling depression and my drinking habit, started a family with me, and supported me when I reenlisted in the military and later retired as a Colonel around 30 years ago.

And that brings us to now.

I live my life now as best I can, doing what I can every day to make up for the pain I brought others.

I still regret much- my mother died around a year into my house arrest, and I didn't spend nearly as much time with her as I would have liked. But I do well for myself now. I took over my father's business when he passed a few years ago, and I live in Varron with my beautiful and supportive wife, Fujiko, and my daughter, Jia.

If I leave you with any advice, it would be this: Never put yourself in a position where you are forced to turn against your own morality.

That, ultimately, is what makes me feel guilty today. I can still see the face of that very first man I killed, the scrawny Earthbender during the opening phases of the war, and I can still see the civilian I harmed, and I can still hear his wife's desperate pleas and curses. If it does turn out that the Spirit World is real, then perhaps I'll see my fellow criminals in there. Knowing the Spirit World, we'll have something like an eternity to catch up.

But for now, I do what I can to make the world a better place. I'll leave you now with a quotation from Fire Lord Zuko's memoir, _The Pursuit of Honor_.

_My daughter, Izumi, asked me the other day why honor is so important to me. And I must admit, I was initially stumped. But on further thought, the answer is clearer to me than anything has ever been. Honor is the absolute belief that what you are doing is both right, justified, and most importantly, worthy enough to earn the respect of others. Honor is something I have struggled with all my life. My wife sometimes jokes that I love honor more than her, but that is only partially true. For she _is _my honor. So is my daughter, my country, and my friends. Honor, in my mind, is making those you love genuinely proud for the right reasons._

* * *

**And that's it! The Story of Qin Lee comes to its admittedly anticlimactic end. **

**Then again, how much can you expect from a fanfiction whose main character was only featured in the show for around 30 seconds and ended with said character ending up in the ocean, courtesy of Sokka?**

**I understand that there may be some glaring formatting issues, but that's mainly because I ported these three chapters from , where I'm submitting the Story of Qin Lee for consideration in a contest. The version on Inkitt will be fully revised, from the beginning (so not as many glaring plotholes and contradictions!)- thanks to** **annunequaled for showing me that. **

**In all seriousness, I just want to thank my incredibly generous readers. You guys and your very kind and constructive reviews both made me a better writer and kept me invested in finishing this series even when I got petered out. I'd like to say that I don't care about number of reviews at all (I do a bit, it always helps), but you guys' continued dedication, advice, and interaction seriously helped my very fragile ego out a lot. **

**If you happened to not like the way I ended this, feel free to leave a review and I'll consider changing it. Otherwise, feel free to check this story in its entirety out on Inkitt around Monday, October 12. **

**Also, if you want to read more of my active stories, check out _Tales from the Fire Nation_, a long-running fic following Fire Lord Izumi's viewpoint throughout the _Legend of Korra_ series. If any of you are older fans of my ancient crossover _The Occupation: The Fall of the Four Nations_, which mixes the video game Killzone with the ATLA universe, I may be rebooting that sometime in the near future. **

**If you want to see what my writing is like in formats _other _than my beloved ATLA/LOK Universe (Oh, the horror!) check out my short story, _A Day of __Remembrance_ (a Star Wars: The Clone Wars fanfic), more to come in the non-ATLA section soon. **

**Once again, I'd just like to thank you guys for your outstanding support. **

**Until next time, **

**IGdude117**


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